Five Years ago today

Five years ago today, at exactly this hour....I was sitting at my brother's bed, holding his hand, stroking his forehead and telling him it was "O.K. to go...." He had spent about 15 hours gasping for breath, and Doug and I just wanted it to be over for him. I asked the nurse on duty how long he could hang on like that, and she just gave me a sad look and said, "It could be an hour, or it could be all night into tomorrow." Somehow, I guess I thought he would make it through the night. In a moment of weakness, I let Doug talk me into coming back to the house here. We were worried about Mom and Dad. My brother died about two hours after I left him. It's a decision I will regret for the rest of my life. I regret few things, but that's one of them. I wish I had been there for him. Don died at 11:05p.m. He was a great brother.

After he died, Doug came to the house to tell us. Sometime during the night, after I had fallen asleep...I woke up startled to feel a large, very warm hand on my forehead! I sat up so fast, and turned on the light....and looked at my own hand, not understanding what had happened, but I know it wasn't MY hand I felt. I guess it was Don's way of telling me, he was watching over me now! I know he is. He continues to be a great brother.