Article October 27, 2003 Issue

God gave Enrico another grandpa

By Annette Falisi

It Was A Long Drive From Florida To Pennsylvania . Along the way I searched for the right words to say to my son, Enrico, about his Grandpa Ivan.

My dad had more or less relinquished himself to his doctor's diagnosis. Dad was a spiritually minded man, though this time he wasn't inclined to pray his way out of the illness—more to pray his way through it. My thoughts during those hours on the highway were one long prayer. Even if he passed away, Grandpa Ivan wasn't going to stop being. I just knew that was true. He was and is a spiritual being—even though that's the kind of truth we gain one glimpse at a time, I was sure of it. My dad was still going to have a way to express himself—who he was, what he cared about, his identity and purpose. His life wasn't going to end. That would be impossible. He would continue to express the Life that is God.

The extraordinary energy I had witnessed as part of his days on earth had a source beyond this experience—a source that would continue to provide him with all the qualities that are derived from God. These include love, continuing growth, freshness, and peace. Grandpa Ivan would go on—doing what made him happy, and living life in a new and expanded way.