It was the summer of 2008, and my family was on vacation in Myrtle Beach, SC. My boyfriend Christopher came along for my 18th birthday surprise, and we were set up for a week of fun-filled family adventures. Sadly, the two of us had to cut our vacation a little short due to him having to work two days before we were to come home. At the time, we were really upset because our sandy beach vacation had been curtailed. When we arrived home, Christopher went off to work. I decided it would be nice to go and see my grandparents and spend the night with them since I hadn’t seen them for a few weeks. Little did I know that those two nights I spent with them would change my life forever.
My papa had been sick for many years before this, and he was at a time where he had been getting better. Miraculously, by the end of the week when I arrived, my papa was at his best; reading the paper, watching TV, and joking around like the old days. As I left and kissed them both goodnight, I hugged my nanny and she said “this is the best he has been for years.” So I left with a smile and the peace that my papa was actually getting better. I returned the next day to spend yet another day with my grandparents.
When I left at 7 p.m. Saturday night the kisses and hugs were the same, but in so many ways different. I think that night my papa hugged me a little tighter and for a little longer than he did the previous night. It was almost like he knew, he knew something I never would or could have imagined.
The next afternoon I got a call after church, and I was told that my papa was dying. My mom told me that his liver and kidneys were failing, and that I needed to go into the hospital right away. This was the beginning of the longest week of my life. As my papa held on from Sunday July 13th to Sunday July 20th of 2008, I was a mess. But to my surprise, I was relieved and blessed at the same time. I got to spend two of his best days with him before he passed away, and those are two days that not one single person could take away from me.
Was it a coincidence that I was the one of the last few who spent time with my papa within the days before he left us for heaven? Was it just a coincidence that Christopher needed to be home to go to work two days before our vacation was supposed to be over? Personally, I think not. Fate is something we will never fully grasp, but something we must trust and believe in. Fate is like the wind, we can’t see it or touch it, but we must feel it and know that it’s there. Fate will always have its way, and there is nothing we can do to stand in its way.