There is nothing like the special bond between a father and his son or sons. There are similar familial bonds that are equally as unique and special, like the bond between a father and his daughter or daughters, but there is something about that male camaraderie that just hits different.
It is noted that not every son and father have a great relationship, but for those lucky enough to have a good father in their life, they know how important and amazing that influence can be on their lives. As adult men, sons spend their whole lives trying to be good enough to pay their father back.
Out of all the activities a father can do with his son, there is one that he has to wait 21 years to do. I'm talking about cracking open a cold one. A father and son sharing a beer together is a seminal moment, that's why it was so important that this dying father enjoyed one last cold one with his sons.
It is hard to imagine what our last dying wish would be. When facing death, the wish would naturally be to have more time, but in the realm of reality, that isn't possible. Norbert Schemm was an 87-year-old man from Appleton, Wisconsin who was suffering from stage 4 colon cancer. He was reaching the very end of his life, where doctors knew they wouldn't be able to save him. He was presented with his final wish, and luckily, he knew exactly what he wanted.
Norbert Schemm had one very simple dying wish, but one that would mean a lot to his family. All he wanted was to hare one last beer with his sons. His wish proves that sometimes life's simplest pleasures are what we crave the most, and what also mean the most to us.
Norbert Schemm got his wish granted, as is evident by a picture taken of the event that has since gone viral on Twitter. The picture shows Norbert Schemm drinking a Bud LIght surrounded by his wife, Joanna, and their three kids, Bob, Tom, and John. Adam Schemm, Norbert's grandson, said, "That moment meant so much to my grandfather. You can tell they all know what's gonna happen, and they just want to enjoy being together. They all have this look of closure." Nortber Schemm passed away the next day.
Adam Schemm continued telling the tale of his grandfather's last wish, saying, "It was the last 90 minutes that they really had him. They drank beer and talked about family and he made everyone promise to take care of my grandmother. They were married for 65 years."
Twitter must have really connected with the beautiful and simple story. The image got retweeted 30,000 times and also inspired others to share their own photos. One person shared a picture of them enjoying a beer with their dad, saying, "I totally understand that. Hardest beer I ever drank." Another person said, "Did the same thing with my Dad in May. Cold beer and a Yankee game. My condolences."
For the non-beer drinkers, one person showed a photo of her drinking Baileys with her grandmother. Adam Schemm was shocked by the huge response, but also felt his grandfather would have loved it. "I was hesitant to make the picture public. But I'm so glad I did." The lesson we can all learn is to enjoy the time we have with each other now, no matter what we do.
