My brother-in-law, Joey Elder died the last month. He had been sick for so long. He was never going to be better. It’s a blessing. It does just hurt so much.
The man was loved, truly loved. And he loved many.
When he began having troubles the week before he died I lit a prayer candle I had started keeping at home and let it burn all week. I had lit it before so it wasn’t good for a full seven days. I kept thinking I should blow it out but Joey just wasn’t getting any better so I kept it lit. When the family got called into the hospital I told myself I would need to get another one but I would light a candle at the St. Joseph statue for Joey. When we got back from the hospital the candle was still lit. When we got the call that Joey had died we were outside and I asked John if the candle was still lit. He said no, that it had burned out. The strange thing about that candle was a few nights before I was watching TV in the family room. All of the lights were out in the house. The candle put out good light. I glanced into the living room and saw someone standing at the table by the candle. I thought it was my son, John. It wasn’t. I thought later that it had to be my brother-in-law, Danny, who had died in 2009. John looks a lot like Danny. It seems that we get visitors when we need them.
When we got called into the hospital I didn’t want to go. I know Jimmy didn’t want to go. But the kids asked us to come so we went. I was planning on staying in the waiting room but Jimmy wanted me to go into the CCU room with him. I immediately found myself a chair in the corner, far away from the bed. I pulled out my rosary and decided to pray the Glorious Mysteries because Joey was going to his glory. At the end of the rosary I prayed for a peaceful transition and I asked the family who had already passed to come and be with him, and us, during this time. I began to feel the sun on my shoulders. I could look out the window and see that the sun was out but the blinds were drawn so the sun was not coming into the room. But the room was getting brighter. As I watched Joey’s family standing guard over him they were all so bright. The whole room was bright. I thanked those who came to be with us and asked them to take care of him on his journey. I didn’t tell anyone any of this because maybe no one thinks the way I do. But I know for a fact that heaven and earth came together at that time to love and celebrate a man who meant so much to so many people. He truly touched so many lives.
