It is a privilege to help someone die.

On November 25th, 2020, Charlie Carraher passed away.  To many he was a family man, World War II veteran, community leader, inspirational speaker, businessman, friend, mentor, and so much more.  To me, he was Grandpa.  One of the best parts of marriage is bonus family, and Grandpa Charlie has been nothing less than a blessed addition to my life.  No one knew how to Encourage the Heart better than Grandpa Charlie.  You can read more about the impact and legacy that he left in his obituary written by my wife and his granddaughter, Ellie.   

In my 26 years of life I am beyond blessed to be able to say that I have never lost someone in my nuclear family; my parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts/uncles, and my closest friends are blessed to all be healthy, even throughout the curveballs that 2020 has thrown at the world.  Prior to this day I was privileged to have only experienced grief once in my life, when my dog died. 

Approximately 10 days before Grandpa passed away, Ellie and I returned to Cincinnati to help as he progressed into Hospice care and the final weeks of life.  As a little girl Ellie lost her Dad, and as a college student just four years ago, she lost her Grandma.  While she doesn’t remember much about her Dad passing, she has a vivid memory of her Grandma and has always described the experience as, “It is a privilege to help someone die”.  I had no idea what this meant until this last week.  

In his final week I had the honor and the privilege to be part of the team that helped Grandpa navigate the transition from life, mentally and physically –  to be gifted as someone to care for him in such intimate ways and be trusted with stories to carry on and requests to fulfill after death.  It truly was a privilege to help Grandpa pass away.  

As I look towards the future and understand that my family won’t always be healthy, I will always be thinking of and thanking Grandpa for equipping me with the skills and the mindset that life is precious and how much of a privilege it is to help someone navigate the end of life.