Prayers needed

My friend Michelle's father had a massive heart attack this morning. I went to the hospital to sit with her for a little while. There's not much I can actually do but I sat with her. We talked about our kids & her upcoming vacation & the time she spent with her father in the past weeks. She was very strong. She knows that it is touch and go and that it is in God's hands.

It was hard to see him like that, on a respirator, intubated. When I got there he was in a bit of distress because he was having trouble while coughing. The nurse helped him and gave him a pain killer and he went back to sleep.

I said a rosary for him on my way to the hospital. (Probably not the best thing to do while driving. I missed my exit because I was praying and not paying attention.) I sent out a note to my prayer chain asking for more prayers. I brought her some magazines. I gave her hugs. That's all I can do. I wish I could do more.

Seeing Michelle's dad made me think of my own father. We're not on bad terms but we're distant. He's uninvolved. I feel bad because I gave up. There's only so many unreturned phone calls one can take. Or so I thought. I guess I'd rather call, invite him to be more involved in our lives and be ignored, then to one day see my father struggling to live and think that I gave up on him.

Please, say some prayers/thoughts/good wishes for Michelle's dad and mom and the rest of her family. They could really use the strength, support and comfort right now.