Friday, September 01, 2006

Funerals suck.... also, a tribute.....

Well, my grandpa's funeral was today. He passed away Monday night, around 9:30pm. Luckily I made it home just in time and was able to spend some time with him before he passed on. I was not poperly prepared for the situation before I arrived. I didn't realize that my grandpa was in a coma. He was lying motionless on the hospice bed and looked like he was in a deep sleep - he was even snoring, but that was the result of the fluids in his lungs. He'd lost so much weight I barely recognized him. It was hard to believe that this was the strong man I'd known all my life.
I'd like to tell you a little bit about my grandpa, so that you can know what an amazing man he was. His name was John Kujawa.... he was 82 years old when he left this world. He served in the army for 6 years and fought in WWII. I know for sure that he fought in Normandy and Germany. He was wounded twice in battle - a skull fracture, and a gun shot wound in the upper leg. When he received the gun shot wound, the 2 other men in the front line with him were killed, and he was left for dead by the rest of his unit. He pulled himself back to safety along the battle ground. Even after receiving these injuries, he still chose to reenlist for 2 more years in the army when his time was up. He received the Purple Heart, Bronze Star and numerous other awards. He was a brave man who loved his country so much that he almost gave his life for it. Even after his service, he remained an extremely patriotic man.
My grandpa was also a big family man. He loved his family and would do anything for them. Even after he became so ill, he was more concerned about everyone else being taken care of. He would always say 'don't worry about me'. Now we truly don't need to worry about him anymore. As of today, he has received a traditional Catholic burial and shall rest in peace. He will be sorely missed.
If anyone is reading this.... please pray for my grandma. Her heart is not strong and right now it is broken. The man she loved for over 66 years and was married to for over 60 has gone and she doesn't know what to do with herself. She just wants to be with him. Please pray for God to give her the strength to carry on.

3 comments:

Patricia said...

So sorry to hear about your Grandpa's passing. I lost my Dad earlier this year and it is always tough to lose someone you love.

PCOSMama said...

Thanks Patricia. I lost my Dad also (4 years ago) so I have an idea what you must still be going through. It is so hard to lose a parent..... the pain never goes away, it simply changes as time goes on. I glanced at your site and am so glad you have found ways to keep your Dad's memory alive.

E said...

my prayers are with you and your grandma and family. I can feel the love you feel for your grandpa in your post. May you carry memories of him with you always.

Blessings to you.