www.markholder.org

My Dad died in December of 2023. He'd had several months of difficulty breathing, especially when lying on his back. Congestive heart failure, he was told. His final weeks were spent in the Intensive Care Unit of a local hospital, his heart working harder while growing weaker. He passed suddenly, surrounded by loved ones. My sister and I were with him for that final moment, just as he and we were with his mother for her last breath in 1986. Family dynamics, I suppose.  Dad had many hobbies but chief among them was motorcycling. After a long break from riding, he ran across a Yamaha XS650 in 2007. Stored in a barn, no brakes, and priced to sell, he bought it. I had the job of riding it to his house, a white knuckle experience on a bike with no brakes. I hadn't ridden in 15 years or more. A former auto mechanic, he did the work of repair and restoration himself in his early 60s. He rode that bike for years, picking up others along the way. Dad was a fan of Japanese motorcycles, c...

I lost my Dad this week. At 82 years of age, he'd lived a long life pretty much on his own terms. Congestive Heart Failure kept him in and out of hospitals for the last six months, and in ICU for two weeks. It was in ICU where he realized the end was near. We had our most meaningful conversations there, in spite of his growing weakness. Lots of "Remember when" stories, a few "What if" stories, and sadly, very few words of final wishes. Fortunately, he'd mostly settled that with my stepmother. I and a few other family members were present at the moment of his passing. There is no greater closure than to be holding the hand of a loved one as the end comes, and I'm forever grateful to have been there when the end came for Dad. A few hectic days followed, mostly involving legal documents and such. Tonight, my wife, son, and I went to see a ballet and returned to find our cat of 17 years dead on his blanket. I'm one of those "pets are family to...