He was the glue that held the family. The anchor that kept them grounded. And now? He was free: he was at peace.

"No one should be alone in their old age, he thought." A quote from Ernst Hemmingway from The Old Man and the Sea. And I agree.

Nobody should die alone, and luckily he didn't. He was a man that treasured his family. He gave thanks and prayed to God for their good health. He'd lived a good life; a charmer. Always putting a smile on a your face. He was the kind of man who says,"Hey there, sweetheart." Or, "There's my sweetie." When you walked into the room. And handed out hugs as if they were currency: one that never ran out.

He had loved and laid to rest two wives: each he'd cherished deeply. He'd seen his family grow; his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. They'd always put a smile on his face.

And as his health slowly deteriorated, his family stuck by him. When he was lost, confused, in and out of the hospital; his family stuck by him. When his daughter also became his mother as his mind slipped away, she had stuck by him; a caretaker. It's never easy for a child to watch their father revert back to a kid himself, but she did it.

As his life left his body, they were there, bearing witness to his last breath.

My grandfather was a great man. He knew what was important: family. They are the ones that stay by your side no matter what. They are the ones who give you strength when you have none. And when life gave you shit, they'd be there cleaning it up.

My grandfather was a wonderful man. He fought for his country. He had loved two woman. He had cared for his children. He had been there for his grandkids, and had the pleasure of knowing his great-grand kids. We wouldn't be here without him: the heart of the family.

Nobody should die alone.

Though I am saddened that you're gone, I'm glad your suffering had ended. No longer lost, but at peace. I will always remember the man you were: the man that loved his family.

Nobody deserve to die alone. least of all you. I will alway remember you. The man who loved.