Papa Angel

My husband became ill in 1999 of "Malignant Mesothelioma of the Pleura a cancer only caused from exposure to asbestos. He was exposed to asbestos 50 years prior while serving in the Navy ~ it had been dormant all these years. This was one of the healthiest men I had ever known ~ only in the hospital once in his life ~ he hiked once a week with a club ~ golfed 2 or 3 times a week ~ and walked every morning twice around the perimeter of our park which totaled just little over 2 miles.

When we found out he was sick we left our home that was in Mesa AZ and moved to Lacey WA to be closer to the cancer center where he would taking treatment. They had given him 4 to 6 months without treatment and 10 to 12 months with treatment. We moved into a house just one block from our daughter and her family which consisted of her husband Terry and three sons Jake 13 ~ Jared 8 ~ and James 4. Those boys were constantly in and out of our house and it was something Dick looked forward to everyday. One day we were watching James and he went over to Dick who was sitting in his chair watching TV ~ James leaned on the chair arm and looked up at Dick and said "Papa when you die you won't be dead" my husband and I looked at each other wondering where that had come from ~ both of us got goose bumps ~ Dick said "Really James how do you know that" and James said "Because I saw you" Dick asked him what he looked like and James said "You were an Angel Papa" Dick asked him what did an Angel look like ~ then James laid down on the floor and moved his arms and legs like he was making a Snow Angel and said "You looked like this" There was silence for a long time and finally Dick looked at me and said ~ "his mother must have said something to him.

When his mother came to pick him up later I asked her if she had talked to James about Dick being sick and dying ~ she said no and then I told her what he had said and her reply was ~"Mom I really believe children see things that we don't see because we have closed our minds to such things" and I think she is right.

Dick died September 7 2001 in our home surrounded by the people who loved him. Jake and Jared and James laid their heads on their Papa's body and hugged him and told him they loved him and how much they would miss him. I believe my grandson did see something and most likely it was his Papa as an Angel.

Lorri