This is my Story

My name is Robert Donaldson, and I live in the little town of Alman Iowa. The town boasts of 520 people and if you count the dogs, perhaps 540. Anyway, I have lived here my whole life with or near my parents and my uncle, who owns the local grocery store. I say near my parents because when I graduated Alman High School, I wanted to work and get out on my own. I am working at the grocery store and I have my own place, so I guess I got those two covered.

I remember this day like it was yesterday, and yet this happened 2 years ago, right after Christmas. My parents and I spent a great Christman together as we always have, and we ate until we were miserable. My mom is the best cook in town, as far as I am concerned. Dad and I watched football until he started dozing, so I left him to his nap, helped mom clean up and then went back home. Our grocery store is closed most holidays, so I knew nothing was goin on there.

This is when things started to go wrong. I was getting ready for bed, and the phone rang. It wasn't super late, but I usually don't get phone calls at that time of day. I picked up wondering who could be calling me, and on the other end was a voice of panic. The voice of my mother.

"Mom, what is wrong?" I had never heard her be this distraught. She tried to gather herself as much as she could to talk to me, and in a shuttering voice said, "Dad, I can't wake him, he won't respond and he is barely breathing. I called 911. Can you get over here?". Just then I heard a siren rushing by my house on the way to theirs. I jumped in my car and almost beat the ambulance to the house. (It helps to know shortcuts). I knew the EMTs personally, as I did just about everyone in town. Dad was in his chair but not moving at all. How could something like this happen so fast? The guys started working on him by lifting him onto the floor. One was doing the CPR thing and one was getting his ? was instructed to send his heart beat. I saw on the monitor they had that his heart was barely working. How? Why? We just ate together and had a great day together.

The EMTs informed the hospital where they were and advised a chopper to pick him up. It would be quicker. They told us they were going to transport him to an old air strip at the edge of town, and the chopper could land there and get him to the hospital in a matter of 5 minutes. I honostly don' recall much of what they said. Mom and I were both in shock over this. I was trying to keep her as calm as possible.

The guys got him in the ambulance and headed for the strip. They told us that he would be monitored and cared for in the chopper and would be at the hospital withing the next 15 minutes. I got mom in the car with some things, and we headed off for Dubuque hospital. My thoughts were racing. What if they can't get him help in time? What if he is too far gone?

We got to the hospital almost the same time as the medical chopper and rushed into the ER. The Drs. began to feverishly work on Dad. One of them came out and started to talk to us. Asking mom what he was doing, did he have heart problems? etc. I just wanted to know what they were doing and was my dad going to be ok?. I remember the Dr. saying that they were doing all they could, but that his heart was not responding to the medicines they were giving him.

They finally came out and said that he was stable but critical. He needed surgery but they had to get him more stable before they could operate. Plus the fact, he had had a mild attack about 6 years ago and was on some kind of medicine. The Dr. suggested that we wait in the waiting room or the chapel and he would find us when my dad is more stable.

I took mom into the chapel. She said she needed to pray, and frankly so did I. I wanted to ask God why this is happening to the best guy in the world, and could he please fix this thing that is wrong. I wanted to talk to dad again, and so did mom. But as I was sitting in the seat they have there, I heard mom pray something that I would not have expected. Instead of a plea, she gave thanks. Instead of asking, she gave God praise and told him that if this was it, don't let him linger and that she was grateful for the 58 years that they had together.

I wondered why is she saying that? How can she have such resolve about this? Then when she was done. She looked at me and said, "Son, your dad is a gift to me and to you, Sometimes things happen that we will never understand, but it doesn't mean that God has forgotten us". "Just pray for peace and grace." "He will get us through this regardless".

At that point, the Dr came in and ushered us into the cubicle that he was in. He said that they did all that they can do, but his heart just gave out. I saw a peace on his face that I had never seen, and I felt something come over me like a blanket.

Mom and I hugged and cried, and kissed dad on the forehead and walked out. Dad had lived his life to the fullest and it was his turn to see God. We called Uncle Buck at his house and the minister, who helped us with the arrangements.

One moment here, the next with God. I will never understand but a real peace came over me in such a way as I have never experienced.

After the funeral, just about everyone in town showered us with food and flowers. They offered as much support as I have ever seen.

Uncle Buck would help me with mom. The minister would come by 3 or 4 times a week, food would continue to arrive for a few weeks. The house would never feel like it did, but dads love and legacy somehow could be felt.

Mom kept going for another 6 years and then she would join him. And as for me, I took over the grocery store and ran it like Uncle Buck wanted. The town folk changed some. People grew up, and some moved on. But others stayed. Alman always had its charm for people. But I knew that my dads contribution really made the town a place. Though he left us quickly on a Christmas day years ago, I still take flowers to the cemetery, and I now have a girl friend who we share a lot of love together. Mom would be pleased. Dad would tell her stories, and the town would welcome her with open arms. I figured that if she could take care of dad in the hospital as a ER nurse, she would have the heart I was looking for.

Somethings unexpected aren't all bad