Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Chess videos/links 2023/24                    

                By metmike - Nov. 18, 2023, 2:04 p.m.          

          Meet my Dad!

In the reports below, Dad was approaching 91 years old.

2024 update: Dad is 99 years old and still playing chess.

Father teaches son chess, son teaches thousands of children                       

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mg5a2DYyXQ

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Never too old to learn new tricks

https://chessdailynews.com/never-too-old-to-learn-new-tricks/

Mike,

 I can see how sharp your father’s mind was still as of 3 years ago in that video at the senior home. I hope mine is half that sharp even 10-15 years younger assuming I make it at least that long.

Thanks much, Larry!

I did this 4 hour interview of Dad just over a decade ago.

It's  Dad telling his life story.  4 hours worth, broken down by time frames on 4 separate tapes that are 1 hour long. This was in 2013, before his 88th birthday. It was in the 90s outside and his air conditioner is constantly going on which creates an audio distraction. 

It seemed long but now we have his life story compacted into those 4 hours. Who would have guessed that he would live another 11+ years!!!

Regardless, it's really, REALLY priceless and fun to watch. Tons of stories.

Dad is the last of his generation in our family. He outlived all of his siblings by a very long time. Outlived everybody in Mom's family by a very long time.

All we have now are memories ............and tapes/pictures like this.

Love Mike

Frank Maguire/Dad #1 "Growing up in the inner city of Detroit-The early years"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRYxYvLnuYs&feature=youtu.be

Frank Maguire 1 www.youtube.com  YouTube www.youtube.com Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

In video #2, below Dad tells about his high school years, lots about his 2+ years in the
army, followed by college at The University of Detroit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYSA3Cy54Hc

Frank Maguire 2 www.youtube.com  YouTube www.youtube.com Enjoy the video

++++++++++++++++++

The #3 video, below includes Dad's life immediately after graduating from The University of Detroit.
With his life as a bachelor, then married with 6 kids, going from the Brookside house at St. Albert The Great parish in Dearborn Heights to Bingham street at St. Alphonsus parish in Dearborn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZTbMHSkf7M&feature=youtu.be 

	Frank Maguire 3 www.youtube.com Frank Maguire 3

+++++++++++++++++

Video #4, below has great stories from working at Ford Motor, moving to Kingsbury, retirement, vacations
and his amazing involvement at "The Abortion Clinic"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6b4_IUor6I

	Frank Maguire 4 www.youtube.com Frank Maguire 4

                Re: Re: Re: Re: How to make the world a better place Jan. 9, 2020            

                          By metmike - Jan. 11, 2020, 6:49 p.m.                     

My Dad

We all complain about dumb/trivial stuff. That's not to overlook legit complaints from suffering, abuse, injustice or other conditions that must be aggressively confronted and eliminated if possible by applying  effective means that we have at our disposal.

I complain more than I should at home, like everybody else........especially considering that I was able to observe the worlds MASTER MENTOR on not complaining.......ever.

This person grew up in the inner city of Detroit. Sometimes on welfare, never met their dad, youngest of 4 children. Great mom though, who taught him what it meant to be devoted  to family.....and be grateful for what little they had. Starting from the time this person was a young boy, he worked constant jobs and gave all the money to his mom and accepted this as a good life with the objective to be his best. 

He served in army at the end of WW2, then graduated from the University  of Detroit. After that, he became a top notch industrial engineer for Ford Motor, where he worked the rest of his professional career. Quite an accomplishment for the boy who grew up in the "Irish Ghetto" of inner city Detroit in the 1920's/30's.

But this was not what defined his life at all.  He married and had 6 children. Without knowing his own father or observing what a good husband is like at home, he decided, like  everything else in his life, that he was going to be the best in that role. 

This is how I got to know him. ...as his oldest son.  The boy with no dad.........grew up to be the best dad the world has ever known.....my Dad. 

All parents have challenges raising children but man did I  ever give our Dad  challenges. My siblings know exactly what I’m referring to. Yet he never complained. Not even 1 time did he complain. I was there. Not 1 time. Instead, he found creative  ways to help me acknowledge my problems and get back on the path which led to tremendous success....and it worked!

Many of the achievements in my life were started because of dad’s influence. 

Dad taught me to play chess in 1966 when I was 10 years old.....just sharing a challenging game with his son.

This turned into me being  a chess coach to over 3,500 students the past 25 years. Thanks for that gift Dad!!

A year later, in 1967, Dad took his then 11 year old son to the National Weather Service for a private tour from the meteorologists at the Detroit Metro Airport. I still remember that day. 

In fact, that  helped foster my interest and I became a meteorologist. That was my career.

Thanks for that wonderful gift Dad!!!

Seems like everything he did turned out to be successful for him and those whose lives he touched. He made countless lives around him better.

Our mom also lost her dad when she was a baby, then watched her mother die of cancer and was raised by her older brothers(who were just trying to survive themselves) after that. Tough childhood and this caused her to suffer psychological issues well into adulthood. But she had the good  fortune to marry a man devoted to heal her and while he faced tremendous adversity while doing this.....he never complained 1 time. I was there. Not one time did he complain. In fact, if we complained about mom or something else.............WE were in trouble for it. He taught us to not complain and  to always respect our mother. And he turned it into a good marriage and provided a wonderful life for his wife, our mom(who provided us with tremendous love thru the pain that she suffered but recovered from).....because he healed her. Yes he did. Nobody else could have done this. He healed mom and taught us by his examples and constant dedication to making us all the best human beings that we can be.

If the doo doo would hit the fan  or there were seemingly impossible obstacles, dad acted like they were just opportunities to apply what he had learned as a child and continued as adult. Make the best of every situation by being the best that you can be......for you and your family and never complain. If you are unhappy about something that’s wrong......get working  on making  it better and be assertive as heck but never complain  or feel sorry for  yourself.

Dad is 94 years old today and is still a living Saint in many ways. Around 10 years ago, after reflecting on his parenting and being a husband that had tremendous challenges, I asked him if my memory was actually  correct. How was it, that thru all those years he never complained 1 time at home? I asked Dad If he ever complained to his buddies or coworkers?

He said, "Heck no, I never complained! They wouldn’t have respected me as a man. A real man would never complain about his wife and kids. It would have been embarrassing for me, as a man to have people think that I was not in control of the situation at home"

I think that also, his early years, having to rely only on himself and his mom to successfully overcome tremendous adversity and disadvantages, prepared him for things in the future that would never be overwhelming.....because none of them seemed any worse than what he was accustomed to dealing with  every day growing up in the inner city of Detroit.

We just finished composing Dad's obituary several hours ago.

In Loving Memory of Frank Maguire
“We just love your dad!” These words were a common refrain heard by all six of Frank
Maguire’s children, from their earliest days at St. Alphonsus School to his final years at
American House Assisted Living in Dearborn Heights. His unwavering love for God, family, and
community defined the extraordinary life of Frank Maguire.
Frank Maguire was born on September 16, 1925, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to John and
Mary Maguire, who had emigrated from Ireland. When Frank was 2 years old, the family moved
to Detroit, Michigan.
After moving to Detroit, Frank's father succumbed to the disease of alcoholism, leaving his
mother, Mary, to raise Frank, the youngest, his brother John, and his sisters Roseann and Mary
on her own. Despite these hardships, Mary instilled a deep devotion to the Catholic faith in her
children and demonstrated immense strength and perseverance, doing her best as a single mother
during the Great Depression. Though the family was poor, Frank learned how to overcome
adversity and lift up those around him. These lessons would serve him well for the remainder of
his life. Frank had numerous jobs growing up and gave all his earnings to help his mother, whom
he dearly loved and respected.
Frank’s Catholic faith guided him throughout life. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary School in
9th and 10th grade with aspirations of becoming a priest. Frank completed his high school
education at Visitation, and became the class president.
Frank was very proud of being a veteran of the U.S. Army during World War II, joining in the
middle of his senior year of high school. After serving from 1943-1946, Frank used the GI bill to
attend The University of Detroit where he graduated with degrees in philosophy and sociology,
with thoughts of going into social work to help others. Instead, he took a job with Ford Motor
Company. Impressed by his talents, they trained him to be a time-study Industrial Engineer. This
was his career for over three decades, working at the Dearborn Assembly Plant.
In 1955, he met Julie Sommers in a bowling alley. Frank loved bowling, but Julie was about to
quit the bowling league they were in. After they met, it was love at first sight. On July 4, 1955,
they were married. They quickly added six children in less than 10 years.
Despite never knowing his father, Frank became the best of fathers while also constantly
supporting and caring for his wife—never raising his voice, or complaining, even during hard
times. He often planned fun and educational family events on weekends in addition to the annual
two-week vacations to cottages on the lake. The family bond grew stronger as they participated
in fun games and activities.
Frank became very active in the church and community. For instance, in 1967 he organized and
ran the St. Alphonsus Dad’s Club baseball league, where he also coached. He remained very
active in the Dad’s Club while his six children were being educated there. Frank was very
involved in many of his children's activities. His support and presence were always felt by his
children. Frank spearheaded many wonderful projects in their community, with a memorable one
being saving Anthony Park. Frank enjoyed jogging for his health much of his life, but didn’t start
competitively running until the age of 50 and competed in 100+ events over nearly 2 decades.

Frank retired on his 65th birthday in 1990, and returned to his old neighborhood at St. Dominic’s

to volunteer in the soup kitchen every Sunday. He also was a Eucharistic minister bringing

communion to Catholics at Oakwood Hospital. For over two decades, after Saturday morning

Mass at Divine Child, Frank gathered a group to pray in front of several abortion clinics, having

a passion for the unborn and wanting to help women know that there was support for them and

their babies. His love of God was expressed through his daily attendance at Mass, continuing

nearly three decades after retirement.

Frank spent his final years in American House Senior Assisted Living, carefully selected by his

ever-devoted daughter Colleen. She and her family moved two blocks from her parents which

made it easier for her to take care of them in their senior years. He was very frequently visited by

his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Many stories were told, songs sung, and

hundreds of games of rummy, chess, and Wii bowling were played. Frank also formed many new

friendships with fellow residents and staff and was active in many of the offered activities,

resulting in a great quality of life in his last years on this earth.

Frank left this world for the arms of his loving Lord on November 21, 2024, at the age of 99.

Loving father of Mike (Debbie) Maguire, Patricia (the late Mark) Armstrong, Colleen (Mark)

Matthewson, Mariann (Sonny) Petersen, Gary Maguire, and Brian (Lisa) Maguire. Dearest

grandfather of twenty-two and great-grandfather to thirty-three.

Frank was preceded in death by his parents, and his beloved wife, Julia Maguire. He will be

deeply missed by family and friends. Visitation Tuesday, December 3, 2024, from 2:00-8:00

p.m. at the Dearborn Chapel of Voran Funeral Home, 23701 Ford Road. (313) 278-5100. Rosary

service 6:00 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home. In state Wednesday 9:30 a.m. with a

10:00 a.m. Mass of the Resurrection to follow at Church of the Divine Child, 1055 N. Silvery

Lane, Dearborn. Interment St. Hedwig Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to

The Lennon Center, 24275 Ann Arbor Trail, Dearborn Heights, MI 48127. Please share
memories and/or leave condolences on Frank’s guestbook on his tribute wall.

I was very fortunate to be with Dad most of the day during the last 2 weeks of his life.

We  played chess, rummy, watched educational YouTube videos/documentaries, prayed A LOT  and sang Catholic hymns. All his favorite things and he loved it!

Heres a few of them:

Songs of Comfort | 8 Catholic Church Songs and Christian Hymns of Faith | Catholic Choir with Lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjCHz8UzuxQ

 Songs of Courage | Beautiful Catholic Church Songs & Other Christian Hymns to Strengthen your Faith  

Songs of Mercy | 10 Catholic and Other Christian Songs of Forgiveness | Catholic Choir with Lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=loQg_dfb67Q

Music of the Mass | 8 Beloved Offertory Songs | Catholic Hymns | Choir w/ Lyrics | Sunday 7pm Choir

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdLlxkG0FhA

 Songs to Mary, Holy Mother of God | 10 Marian Hymns and Catholic Songs | Sunday 7pm Choir | ADCS    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=MeFJykg1h04&t=4s

  Songs of the Servant | 8 Catholic & Christian Hymns of Service | Choir w/ Lyrics | Sunday 7pm Choir    

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HjrG51xEyM

Several of these great songs are still playing in my head all day and night! The memories of this special time with him will be forever.

MIKE... I OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO ALL OF YOUR FAMILY ... 

HUGS & PRAYERS

Thanks very much,  Jean!!!

According to Quantum Physics, Death Might Be an Illusion

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/3598827320587-death-might-not-be-real-quantum-physics-suggests-it-s-just-an-illusion

                Early Father's Day            

                            Started by metmike - March 26, 2024, 12:13 a.m.            

https://www.marketforum.com/forum/topic/102812/

This year, I got him a special present.

I was 10 years old when Dad taught me to play chess in 1966.

This was the 2 of us together, earlier today (March 25, 2024) wearing our new McCutchanville chess shirts(with last names on the back this year).  Mine has "coach" on the back. His has "Maguire"

He's had the shirts from the other schools for 15 years:

Scott Elementary, Oak Hill Elementary, North Junior High and North High School. 

However,  on the back of his shirts,  my wife put "it all started in 1966!"

Here's what I just sent my sister to help the priest, Father Jeremy at Divine Child in understanding the life of our Dad to talk about him. 

Hi Colleen.

This is my contribution. Like mentioned earlier, much of this is great stuff to have in the eulogy too but there will not be nearly enough time to cram it all in. So tell me what all  your FAVORITE stuff is so that we can reduce the eulogy to something manageable. Leading the 241 consecutive rosaries stated below  is at the top of my list!

We already have the obit to use also, that mentions some of the items below.  Speak up ASAP because I'd like to have the eulogy mostly done late Saturday BEFORE we travel back up there early Sunday and I don't have my computer. I want to do everything possible for everybody to be doing synchronized back flips over the eulogy

1.  Dad parented with discipline but never anger. He never raised his voice. He never complained. He was a model husband that supported his wife and taught us by examples and also words: "You only have 1 mother and you should always respect her no matter what" he would always say. He supported us in all our endeavors. He started the "Dads Club Baseball League" at St. Alphonsus and ran it single handedly, as well as coached so that his oldest son, Mike could play baseball growing up. If there was a problem, he always rose to the occasion with unconditional love and positive solutions to resolve the problem, while NEVER complaining. His 6 children all remember it the same. Our dad NEVER complained and he never raised his voice while actively parenting us as the main disciplinarian. He sent all 6 of us to Catholic School for 12 years. The oldest ones started at St. Albert the Great in Dearborn Heights. Then we spent most, to all of our years at St. Alphonsus in Dearborn. He constantly led by personal examples. I remember at 1 point him telling me, while I was still in elementary school about how he was in the process of reading the entire bible from start to finish. We watched him do it at the kitchen table early in the morning. He read most of the bible many times over since then. He MADE us watch Evangelist Billy Graham specials on television in the 1960's and 1970's,   when we were children  even though that wasn't our favorite program.  We were all baptized in the Catholic Church, then received first Holy Communion in the 2nd grade. We then received the sacrament of Confirmation in 5th grade at St. Alphonsus. I picked Joseph as my confirmation name because it was Dad's middle name. Francis, Joseph Maguire. There was never an excuse for missing mass. In high school, I remember the time I was hanging out with Mike Limas in 10th grade and supposed to be going to mass and spotted him following us from a distance to make sure I really did go to mass. It would have been real big trouble to miss mass.
   
   
   
2. Dad did a wonderful job balancing his successful career as an Industrial Engineer at Ford Motor Company,  parenthood and personal time devoted to spirituality while he was raising us. After we grew up and he retired he focused much of his  day on spirituality and his personal relationship with God but still balanced that with hours spent supporting his wife, our Mom, Julie Maguire. He was the best husband, committed to serving our mom, his wife from the day they were married on July 4, 1955.   He ramped up mass attendance the day after he retired on September 16, 1990 to DAILY mass at Divine Child after an intentional move to this parish.  That lasted for almost 3 decades.  The math on that is over 10,000 days in a row where he never missed daily mass unless there was an illness or other reason that made it impossible. During that time, he formed a prayer group that met every Saturday after mass to pray in front of abortion clinics.  This continued for over 2 decades. He also went back to his old neighborhood to St. Dominics, in the inner city of Detroit to help out weekly at the soup kitchen. He also served as a Eucharistic Minister that gave Holy Communion to patients at Oakwood hospital.   When Mom passed away in 2014, he had even more time to devote to his Catholic Faith, making it his passion 24 hours a day. In 2018 because of a compromised physical state, he moved to the American House Assisted Living facility. His last 6 years were spent there, initially continuing to meet his Sunday mass obligation with assistance as long as he could. He also received holy communion at least once during the week in addition to Sunday. He received numerous visits from priests, deacons and religious people that would bless him and deliver communion and hear his confession.  And he prayed like crazy!  In his prime, he was doing 3 rosaries a day, the stations of the cross and the Chaplet of Mercy every day in addition to many, MANY other special prayers that he would say on a regular basis.  This included doing Scriptural Rosaries. In fact,  I had to order him new books because he wore out the ones that he had.
   
   
   3. One his most notable accomplishments as: "Dad the family Shepard" occurred when he was well into his 90s.  On Easter Sunday, April 12, 2020, because of the COVID pandemic hitting, he decided to gather his children from around the world on  a conference call to pray the rosary together. The Glorious Mysteries, which have always been his favorite. We were joined by 2 cousins and the 9 of us would go on to pray the Glorious Mysteries every single Sunday at 2:30 pm for 241 consecutive weeks, never missing a week. Led each time by our FAMILY SHEPHARD, Frank Maguire who even led us on his final Sunday in his earthly body. Despite being extraordinarily compromised and struggling as a 99 year man approaching death, on November 17, 2024,  Dad was incredibly determined to lead the Glorious Mysteries 1 LAST TIME with his 6 children and 2 cousins responding from distant places. What a wonderful last memory of our Dad.  From the time we first remember him as young children, until his last day on earth(when I was praying the Glorious mysteries, Scriptural Rosary to him repeatedly at his bedside-and could only see his lips barely moving to respond) he was the most devoted Catholic that any of us have ever known.  This man is undoubtedly in heaven and the world is much better off because of him being in it. We, as his children were blessed beyond all children to have him as our Father.
   
   Love, Mike
   
   

Frank Maguire-final obiturary

https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/name/frank-maguire-obituary?id=56855265&utm_source=webshareapi&utm_medium=share_button&utm_campaign=wsapimobile_beta&fbclid=IwY2xjawGzVPFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHUXtfpOaHZvF6rn2N-uoTU3UwNXi-33suGcY1WITwApJze9UnuwSS9IrcA_aem_cV0aXSMTfaOZAhbjepL5fA

Dad with (my daughters) Evansville Family:

Front: Dad, Shani  Back: Mike, Jovan, Gibi, Deb, Gigi, Baithin after the Michigan football opener 2023-eventual National Champs!

Baithin, Dad, Gibi after Michigan football opener-2022

Baithin and Dad playing chess, Mike watching-2022

 Dad counting rummy points vs Mike after a big round-2024

              Dad making a good chess move vs Mike-2024

Mac, Deb, Phil, Dad, Mike-Christmas week 2023

Mike, Dad, Phil, Deb, Mac-Christmas 2023

Mac, Mike, Dad, Deb, Quinn, Carrie-Christmas 2021?

Maggie, Phil, Dad, Mac, Quinn, Carrie-Christmas 2021?

Dad, Mac-Christmas 2023

Veterans Day at American House. (11-11-24) Mike and Dad

November 19 2024: Dad's last full day at American House-on oxygen, covered with a sweater and blanket but still very cold......yet never complaining and always happy!

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

2024 In Evansville: Front-Deb, Mike Shani, Baithin

Back-Quinn/Cyrus, Jovan, Gibi, Gigi, Mac

Dad had a wonderful voice and was a great entertainer!

This was just over a year ago.

He had congestive heart failure for a couple of years but went downhill fast once sepsis set in near the end.

Frank Parrot 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAaf_Q--1J0

Dad was my best man at our wedding on August 10, 1985.

Grooms wedding party:

Gary-brother 6 years younger, Brad Byrd- main news anchor WEHT-TV, Mike(chief meteorologist WEHT) , Dad-best man, Brian brother 9 years younger.

Mike, Dad, Shani 1998

Dad, Quinn, Mac, Mike 1998

Image of poster with family pictures

Thanks for sharing with us ,Mike. Pictures compliment the stories you've told and seem to clarify and organize the thoughts they generate.

John

I appreciate your positive comment, John!!

I'll be in Detroit the next 4 days as our family and friends celebrates the 99 years of Dad's wonderful life.

I’m sorry for your loss Mike.  I know your Dad was special to you.  You have a lot of material to help you remember all the memories you have made with your Dad.  

Thanks very much, Jim! Exactly!

Those that played a key role in making us the people that we are, live on in us based on  our memories, expressions and actions!

Here's the recording of the live links that our oldest son, Quinn did:

Wake/Rosary(December 3, 2024)

https://youtube.com/live/XCZQBlqm1r8?feature=share

Funeral/Mass(December 4, 2024):

https://youtube.com/live/v6jLWAYAsq0?feature=share

Luncheon/Eulogy(December 4, 2024):

https://youtube.com/live/nW3X98617FI?feature=share

Dad was the last of his generation in our family…..the greatest generation.

Last of his siblings by a decade. outlasting the last of Moms family of 9, Aunt Peggy by a decade.
Fortunately, we have the most to remember him by an extremely wide margin over all others. Stay tuned for more coming up!

This was Dad singing a couple of years ago with his parrot:

Frank Parrot 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAaf_Q--1J0

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Dad singing Irish songs the week before he passed, at the Veterans Day ceremony, November 11, 2024,  when the entertainer, strangely turned it into St. Patricks Day for the first 7 songs. Dad was 100% Irish:

https://youtu.be/pJy_cDJo8Xc?feature=shared

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

His funeral mass on December 4, 2024 was perfect!

The readings were perfect!

The homily was perfect!

The songs were perfect!

The final song choice blew me away!!!!!

In the tape below, even though it comes first, it was the last song that I taped at that visit and actually THE LAST song ever that I taped of Dad and I singing together(out of hundreds that he/we sang). What are the chances of that???

How great thou art.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lyMgQ17HGM&list=PLimjs0pzbkF4t_udfJl0H4AKfaxGF7y8X&index=3

	How great thou art 2 www.youtube.com

It's mind boggling how many songs that Dad knew all the words to. Probably hundreds.

The last evening, praying the scriptural rosary with/over Dad was a unique experience.

While doing this, I was monitoring Dad's O2 and other vital signs.  His O2 was staying below 80% persistently, for a long period even with

The O2 coming into his nose at max volume of 10 liters but didn't help. 

I asked the nurse/aide to take his bp and she was unable to get a reading on his left side after numerous attempts (and said that was unusual) then got 82/41 on his right side.

I told my sister,  Colleen a couple of times that I thought he was passing then.

While I prayed and Dads eyes were shut, even though he was unable to respond audibly to the 2^nd part of the prayers , I could see his lips moving, so in fact HIS BRAIN WAS STILL WORKING and he was aware of what was going on around him.

I experienced a similar state when I was unconscious to the observer after losing over 3 units of blood with my bp crashing towards 0. My eyes were shut and I could not respond but I heard everything going on around me with crystal clarity from the medical people trying to save my life because my brain was still very alert.

After Colleen left, Dads O2 bounced back above 90  and he was just a bit more conscious for a couple of hours but it was not to last much longer that night and he passed during the early morning hours.

I waited to make comments on a particular response of Dad's that evening. 

Several times that evening he was reaching to the ceiling with his right arm/hand while I prayed, with vital signs unsustainably low(O2 remaining around 75%) . I thought at first that maybe it was the new room and he might be confused by a strange ceiling. I asked him what he was reaching for. Did he see Jesus? Is that what he was reaching for?  He responded clearly, "I see 3"    I asked him 3 what, Dad?. He responded clearly " 3 kings". And he continued to reach several more times with no more comments because he was basically non responsive much of that time.

No question that he was reaching for the 3 kings that his mind saw right in  front of him that we couldn't see.

I reported this to one of the caregivers to see what she thought and was told that this behavior was pretty common when they are transitioning from this world to the next one.

Definitely a new experience for me to witness and worth learning much more to understand what was happening, considering this is not unusual at all.

I'll copy some articles discussing this. When our bodies are dying, instead of our brains dying in sync at the same rate, a very profound response takes place in the brains of many people. An intense INCREASE in activity in parts of the because of the massive release of a chemical called DMT(from the pineal gland).  This chemical, that can be manufactured naturally but is usually at very low levels. It has similar impacts as LSD would on our brains.

When our bodies are dying,  the huge DMT dump into the brain causes hallucinations and extremely enhanced abilities to see things that were unseen without the DMT.  This would include visions from memories stored deeply inside. Does this include a spiritual element? Many of those that entered this stage of death........but came back, have reported things that suggest that.

https://thedougmac.medium.com/proof-of-the-afterlife-how-dmt-sheds-light-on-near-death-experiences-844b2ed35185

Proof of the Afterlife? How DMT Sheds Light on Near-Death Experiences | by Doug Mac, Medical Science Investigative Journalist | Dec, 2024 | Medium The Near-Death Experience Phenomenon. Few things capture our curiosity like near-death experiences (NDEs). They’re like humanity’s ultimate cliffhanger, sparking debate, hope, and no small amount of skepticism. thedougmac.medium.com

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

https://borjigin.lab.medicine.umich.edu/news/2023-near-death-consciousness/human-brains-show-larger-than-life-activity-at-moment-of-death

++++++++++++++++++++++

So here's an added observation. This one from an EXTREMELY subjective perspective.  I'm basing it on an assumption that the most traumatic experience in my life is what triggered it...............but maybe it was more than that.

So while I was praying over Dad and following his lips, knowing this was a response telling me his brain was STILL ENGAGED, I felt connected to him in a way never felt before, appreciating that he was in the process of dying.

But this is the REAL unique part. When I returned the following morning, several hours after he was gone and I approached his lifeless body(just him and me in the room), my brain was suddenly bombarded with dozens of powerful, extremely visual images of Dad from years ago that were almost as vivid as them being real. This went on for quite some time and it was breathtaking.

Dad with his crew cut in his younger years. Dad in his bathing suit with an undershirt on at the beach. Dad in his suit. Dad playing chess. Dad playing rummy and so on. Mostly much younger years that were very distant memories I'd forgotten about.   All at once hitting without me having any control. Probably the trauma  to me was triggerng this but was there a unique connection to Dad's spirit that was established the evening before still lingering in the room?  It was almost like I was on LSD!

This was like PTSD/having flash backs in a different, positive realm(because all the visions were really good ones of Dad).  And this continued almost non stop for some time, while I struggled to pray another scriptural rosary, glorious mysteries in a different state of mind than ever before in my life.

After leaving the room, it was over.......except for remembering exactly what just happened the previous 12 hours and being described here. A religious person would interpret this differently than a scientific person. I've tried to describe it with an open mind that considers both explanations.

Regardless, it did happen, was powerful/unique and was directly tied to Dad's death and things we don't completely understand that only happen at or near death.

At the very least, it reveals a realm of consciousness  with an enhanced experience that most of us are capable of but only under these extraordinary conditions.