WOW...that's all I can say. I don't think I've ever really been speechless before in my life, but I truly do not know how to respond to your post other than by saying that what happened to your grandfather is amazing. I'm glad to hear that he has made his peace.

The only grandfather I ever knew passed away the summer before my 8th grade year, when I was 13. This is depressing, but the one thing I will regret until the day I die is never having said, "I love you" to him. I have always found those words to be so unbelievably precious...sometimes even sacred, and so many people seem to throw those words around at the wrong times to the wrong people way too soon...but I should have had no problem at all telling my grandpa I loved him. However, realizing that mistake of mine has made saying it to other people a bit easier.

Anyways, I'll continue before I get myself depressed...

A rather unbelievable thing happened to a great uncle of mine once. He had a heart attack, and the doctors in the E.R. had given up on saving him since his heart had not registered a single beat for 10 minutes or so, but a nurse looked at my uncle and said, "No, let's try one more time." So they did, and his heart finally started beating again. Later, my uncle told family members that he could remember the entire experience, including snippets of the nurses' and doctors' conversations. The family did not believe him, but when a nurse who had been in the E.R. spoke to my uncle, she confirmed that yes, those things had really been spoken in the E.R. He had heard the doctor say he was giving up and everything. I wasn't born yet, but I guess there was pure astonishment, amazement, and conviction in his eyes, so everyone knew he was telling the truth.

Anyways, just thought I'd share a story of my own. My Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were fairly uneventful, except I came to realize on Christmas Day that being together with people you love is what it's all really about.

I will keep you and your family in my prayers. :)

~Den-"big hug"Kara