Spiritual Growth Moment ~ August 15th, 2021
by Kay Dougherty
Not every daughter-in-law is as fortunate as I was. David’s parents were two of the most caring and loving people I have ever known, especially in their support of me. So, it is not surprising that my relationship with them – Doris and Frank Dougherty – was a special one, and I miss both of them dearly.
In 2010, David and I were called by Frank to tell us that Doris had been taken to the hospital in Gaithersburg, MD and that although her condition was not serious, she would be there for a couple of days, before returning to the rehabilitation center of their Asbury Village community. We were told she’d be in the rehab unit for a very short time. For a couple in their mid-90s, they seemed to have things under control.
Still, David’s older brother, Winston, decided to visit from Florida to help take care of his dad, and so we did not feel a real need to be there. We’d certainly made that trip many times, and would as soon as we were needed. However, over the next couple of days, in conversations with Winston, we began to understand that Frank’s health had begun to take a dramatic turn for the worse, even if he could manage his day-to-day affairs. Concerned, we quickly decided to drive from our house in Pottstown, PA to Gaithersburg, and by the time we arrived, we could clearly see that Frank, with some degree of urgency, now needed to be taken to the hospital himself. In fact, the “authorities” at the retirement community insisted he be taken there by ambulance. Given his parents’ age, David and I were not completely surprised by this turn of events, but we were still worried.
What followed was, by the grace of God, a true blessing. When Winston, David, and I arrived at the hospital, we were told that Frank had been admitted and been taken to his room. And so, we went to find him, but planned to check in on Doris on the way. However, when we walked into Doris’ room, there was Frank. Married almost 65 years, Doris and Frank were together again, side by side, in a hospital room! “They” – Heaven knows whom -- had somehow put them together, although we have no idea how they knew or even got permission to do that. In fact, not only were they together, but they were watching Frank’s beloved Philadelphia Phillies on television. David and I, along with his brother Winston, sat down to cheer the Phils on together.
Then, in the very early hours of the next morning, Frank Dougherty, having spent the evening with Doris and the three of us – five people who hadn’t been together in the same room for years – died in his sleep, suddenly, silently, and peacefully. For sure, we were shocked and sad, but we still found peace knowing that, through divine intervention, he had spent his last hours watching the Phillies win and being with his loving family. It just doesn’t get better than that.