My Ex-Husband Passed Away Today

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My ex-husband's health had been declining fast since I posted the request for prayers. Today I woke at 3:00 a.m. with a knot in my stomach. I knew something was amiss. My son called me early this morning to let me know that my ex was close to death. One of my sons had already left for the hospital with his aunt and grandmother. My son informed me that his father was going to be taken off life support but they were waiting for our arrival before it happened. It took 2 hours to get to the hospital. The tears flowed like rain. We sang songs that brought us joy and talked about better times. When we arrived we went directly to his room. He was hooked up to machines to monitor his heart rate and also a ventilator. His eyes were semi-closed as he was heavily sedated. The nurse told us that his kidneys had failed and they didn't believe he would live without the life support. We decided it was in his best interest to remove the life support. The nurse said he believed that he was able to hear us. Each person took time to speak with Mark, either alone or with someone else in the room. When I spoke to him, my daughter, Celisa, was in the room with me. I told him that I was glad to have become his friend even though our marriage didn't work out. Celisa sang a song to him. I sang one too, well part of one. The only place we could touch him without causing pain was his face and hair. I stroked his forehead and talked to him. As I did I noticed a tear well up in the corner of his eye and as it trickled down, I caught it with a tissue and handed it to my daughter. When I told my family of this they were all excited to know that he knew we were there. One by one we all spoke to Mark. We left the room for a short time so the respiratory care nurse could go into the room to remove the breathing tube. The social worker came to get us when they were ready. We filed into the room and surrounded the bed that Mark lay in. I told him that we were all there to help him with his journey. My daughters sang another song for him. They had a difficult time singing while holding back the tears. As Mark's breathing became more shallow I began to feel faint. I had to sit down. Mark was always a fighter. The nurse said that he was a strong man. We all agreed. The more shallow Mark's breathing became, the more anxious my children and the rest of the family became. They raised their voices saying how much they loved him. His heart beat a bit stronger. He held on. And then his breathing stopped. The nurse said in a quiet voice that soon his heart would stop beating. When it did, we all cried. Although we knew that he was no longer in pain and was finally at peace, we cried for our loss. Rest in Peace Mark. I will always love you.