This is my story about Tom

My younger brother Tom was diagnosed with stage 4 bone and lung cancer at age 48. He was told that he only had a few weeks to live. He enrolled in a residential hospice. After three weeks of excellent care, many visits and declining health, Tom expressed his wish to have our annual Easter family luncheon at his house where he had not been back since he moved into the hospice facility. Early Easter morning, I went to pick Tom up. The head nurse, his CNA, the hospice doctor, the custodian, and even a member of the cooking staff, working together, helped my brother get up, dressed, medicated, and into my car. As we drove off, I looked back and I gave thanks for the hospice staff who were waving good-bye, giving eachother high-fives, some with sparkling tearful eyes, as they headed back into the building. We had a great Easter gathering. Tom was in his home. He couldn't eat much and he spent most of the day comfortably dozing off, listening to the laughter of the little ones and the old family stories and conversations. A little after lunch, Tom said that he needed to get back to the hospice facility. His long time partner Mary drove him back to the hospice. She would later share with us that as Tom requested they stopped at a department store to buy dress pants, and 88shirt and a belt that would look good on his shrinking body. As Mary pulled into the hospice parking lot, she said Tom said to her, "Now you know I'm going to die, but today was one of the best days of my life." A week later with the staff checking on Tom's comfort and needs, with Mary and, her mom, and me at the bedside, with our mom and Tom's children on the way, Tom's breathing changed, he became less responsive, and peacefully slept. We expressed our love, hugged him, shared scripture, said he should follow his heart, his faith, and the light of the risen Savior. To our amazement, unexpectedly, Tom opened his eyes, looked up with a look of awe on his face, reached up his arms, and then without a word, laid back and within a half hour he breathed his last. As when Tom was alive, all the various staff members stopped in his room, and now provided comfort and support for us as we began the healing process of grief.