At the funeral, my mom described my dad as the most generous man she had ever met. For many others, he was their only friend who had lived to 105. To me, he was the most fascinating, loving, and caring father in the world.
He had the privilege of dying peacefully in the comfort of his home, surrounded by his family. On July 3rd, at 11:55 pm, while they were preparing his bed, he said, “It is time for me to let go and rest. I am ready to leave and I give my soul to God.” When his son-in-law laid him on the bed, dad gave his last breath of life with a peaceful smile. His face reflected immense tranquility and joy. It was now the 4th of July!
Today’s prayer states, “May I live in the inspired knowledge that someday people will tell stories about the life I lived.” The image of the day looks like a sailboat in the shape of an inkwell.
My dad’s life was like a ship that had reached its destination on time. His only prayer about death was asking God to take him before he could no longer be able to be independent enough to take care of his basic needs.
Despite his age, my dad had a clear mind, a charismatic personality, and a cheerful spirit. He had good relationships with family and friends of all ages.
What was the secret of his longevity? Me, of course! I was the unexpected child, born when he was already over 65.
I was constantly mistaken for his granddaughter. And in my circle, he was mistaken for my grandfather. I learned that clarifying that he was my dad was not a good idea, as children innocently replied: “Yikes, he’s going to die soon and then you’ll be an orphan!”
I was a brave little girl, but that was my one fear growing up. Crying on my dad’s shoulder, I heard him say, “No one is dying! God will give me a long life. We will dance in your Quinceañera and at your wedding. And we will celebrate birthday parties for my grandchildren before I die!”
Later, he used to tell me to marry and have children so he could die in peace. I used to tell him that he needed to wait until the end of the world because I was planning on giving him millennial grandchildren. We used to laugh together and he would reply, “Ok, I accept the challenge.”
Today happens to be my son RJ’s birthday. He was my dad’s first grandson and was born in 2000, the new millennium. My dad was born in 1907, his mom in the late 1880s, his grandmother in the mid-1800s. My son can say his great-grandmother was from the 1800s, and his grandfather, the beginning of the 1900s.
God answered our prayers. We celebrated his grandchildren’s Gen Z birthdays many times.
When his body was no longer obeying his mind, he organized a celebration of life to say goodbye to us all. He shared funny memories of his life, made jokes, and we sang his favorite songs. We took and shared pictures with him. That afternoon, I thought it was the best memory I would have of those last moments with him.
But I was wrong! At his graveside, while his coffin was lowered to the ground, we began to throw roses at it and the unexpected happened. The crowd of guests, mostly his friends, neighbors, and church members, stood up and started clapping saying, “Bravo! Well done!”
It was like when the Titanic departed from its port for the first and final time, while the crowd of reporters and the public clapped at the sound of the vessel. I imagined the passengers leaving England with joy and hope on their smiling faces. Just like the peaceful smile of my dad, which was reflected on his face for the last time.
Because of the man God gave me as a father, I could see God’s love for us.
Our Heavenly Father guides us to focus more on God’s will than ours, on what God expects from us, instead of what we want from God. Like my dad, I pray that my life would be an inspiration for our children and our community.
Susana Garcia Gutierrez is a La Sierra University social work graduate, working toward her Masters of Arts in Behavioral Science to become a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and is founder of the iWOW (Influential Women of Wealth) movement.