RIP To Greg's Mother

[Tom Kessenich]

As some of you may know Greg has been dealing with a very difficult situation the past week due to the health of his mother. At first it appeared she would not make it past last Monday but she fought on for another week only to pass yesterday morning. No matter how prepared you may be the loss of a parent is not an easy situation to go through. We all know the type of person Greg is and we know he'll handle this with dignity and respect and many of you know other members of his family as well, including his brother Mike and brother-in-law Dennis. But I can only imagine what all of them are going through and I hope everyone is doing the best they can. I want to express my condolences to everyone in the family and I hope all of you will keep them in your thoughts and prayers as well.

[Coyote Streakers]

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Greg.

[BLACKHAND]

I am sorry for your loss. Thoughts and prayers with you and your family

[Jim Wiseheart]

Greg, I'm very sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time.

[BillyWaz]

Thoughts and prayers are with you and your family during this difficult time, Greg.

[Sabretooth]

So sorry to hear,Greg. Thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

[Rob B]

Greg, sorry to hear about your Mom, our thoughts are with you and your family.

[RC Techies]

Sorry to hear about your loss. I lost my mom about 20 years ago and I still think of her a lot.

[Coltsfan]

I"m so sorry Greg. Prayers are with you and your family.


Wayne

[Greg Ambrosius]

I posted this yesterday on the NFBC boards to try and clarify what I went through. Interestingly, over the last day I've heard from several other NFBC and NFFC owners who are either going through the same thing right now or who just went through it. It's amazing how talking about this really does close some wounds. So I hope you don't mind me posting this. Thanks all.


Thanks to everyone for their kind thoughts and prayers. This means SO VERY MUCH to me.

My mom was a very religious person who believed in the power of prayer. In fact, my sister called her a "prayer warrior" because she prayed all the time for people in need. She had a regular Wednesday prayer group for 30+ years and she did the rosary religiously. There were times when if you called her to tell her some bad news she would say "I have to hang up now so that I can start praying for them." She grew up next to a Catholic church as a child and we lived across the street from a Catholic church as kids. My mom went to church every day and so did we pretty much!!

All of that makes my mom's story one of the most unbelievable stories ever. I've never really talked about it, but it deserves some recognition today because this last week has been an unbelievable journey.

My parents were successful and retired in 1983 when the last of six kids graduated from high school. On June 5, 1987 my mom went to the church to help with decorations for Pentecost. She was on a ladder and pulled on a garment that was attached to the cross and the cross fell down on her and knocked her off the ladder. She hit the altar, was paralyzed and wasn't expected to live through the night. Somehow she fought on and lived 28 1/2 years as a paraplegic. She outlived my dad and even lived on her own for almost a decade. She was amazing, although she fought severe phantom pain every day that she was a paraplegic. I tried to distract her phantom pain by getting her an expansion team in our family fantasy football league and she not only excelled at that but won two titles in a three year period. She was ULTRA competitive.

I knew every time that I went on a trip that my mom could have medical issues. When Mike and I ran Las Vegas or Dennis and I ran Las Vegas we knew that at any moment we could both be rushing back home. Although she was in good health, she was 88 years old and susceptible to pneumonia. Sure enough last Sunday she got pneumonia and with all of my family members out of town they called me to rush to the hospital. She was already on life support but cognizant. We got through until Monday when Mike, Dennis and my sister could get there, but the inevitable was at hand. On Monday night we took her off life support and something miraculous happened: We gave her life.

The minute we took her off life support she got this calmness about her and just looked at peace. The nurse said that mom would pass in about 15 minutes but we stood vigil over her for 36 hours before you could tell this lady was going to go out on her own terms. She would come to at times and communicate with her eyes. Then on Wednesday and Thursday she even tried to talk and did talk to my brother on the phone. Again, she was dying, but she just wouldn't give up. After years of praying for death and knowing that eternal life awaited her, she just couldn't leave. She opened her eyes several times after that, hummed to Amazing Grace and by Saturday I said "you're in charge here mom, right?" She nodded emphatically. I said "you'll decide when you go, right?" She nodded emphatically again. She was going to make sure that everyone got home to say their goodbyes and she in turn said her goodbyes. Her brothers and sisters came, grandchildren came, friends came, the Bishop came, priests came and each time she mustered enough strength to open her eyes and communicate that way.

The journey ended on Tuesday morning when she was alone and at peace. It was 8 days after the nurse said it would be 15 minutes. It was the most emotional, most draining, most spiritual journey of my life. She died at 88 with 6 healthy kids, 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. She played racquetball and was a multi-time golf champion in her 50s, which made this injury so difficult. But as she said to me often, "The Lord works in Mysterious Ways." Wow, don't we know that.

It puts life in perspective. You think your Draft Champions League is going too slowly? Enjoy the moment. Enjoy the camaraderie. Enjoy the experience.

We are in celebration mode now. We're all cried out. We are celebrating an INCREDIBLE life. I hope to have the type of resume that my mom takes to heaven, and I know she went straight there. She lived her purgatory right here over the last three decades. Her sisters are still alive at 93 and 91 and her brother is 87 and still shooting 87 on the golf course. Her other brother died at 89 last week, almost the same day as mom. So I have good genes in the family!!! I'm not going to waste those by being stressed out here. No way.

Life is good. It throws us a curveball sometimes and we just have to keep fouling it off until the Big Guy throws one past us. Mom was in the 27th inning of a scheduled 9-inning game. We can live with that outcome. I can live with that outcome. As we told her "your job is done Mom. We can take it from here."

And so we will. And the good news? She's WALKING with the Lord right now. God Bless you Mom. God Bless You.