This might look like a normal picture of men having a beer with a sick family member, but it’s actually a beautiful farewell. Not everyone gets the chance to say goodbye to a loved one before they pass away. For many, the person might not be able to communicate. But these guys in the picture got a special opportunity to toast to their old man’s life and give him a happy send-off.
87-year-old Nobert Schemm from Appleton, Wisconsin, had been battling colon cancer for a while. He had been doing pretty well until his last trip to the hospital, where he was told he had only a week left. He had lived a long and full life and had a whole family who loved him and wanted to spend every last moment with him.
On Tuesday, November 20, he gathered his sons and grandsons and asked them to have one last beer with him as a family [1]. He passed away the next day, but not before leaving his family with a source of comfort.
The photo was shared by Schemm’s grandson, Adam, on Twitter, and it went viral. It has received 335K likes, 5.3K comments, and 33.6K retweets. It has also appeared on other social media platforms and has been covered by dozens of websites and news outlets around the world. What a great way to honor Grandpa Schemm’s life!
Adam told the BBC [2]: “My grandpa had been relatively healthy over the course of his life, but it was on Sunday last week while he was in hospital that they realized it would be the end. He called his grandchildren to tell us on Monday. We took the picture Tuesday night, and then he died from stage 4 colon cancer on Wednesday. My dad told us that Grandpa had wanted a beer, and now that I look at that picture, it gives me peace. I can see my grandpa is smiling. He’s doing what he wanted to do—it was an impromptu moment.”
Adam said his father, Tom, had first posted the picture on their family’s WhatsApp group. He wasn’t sure if he should share such a precious moment on social media, but he’s glad he did. The support and kindness he’s received on Twitter have helped him cope with the loss. It also inspired many people to share photos of their loved ones’ final moments in a different light—a happy one.
“It’s actually helped us with our grief. It’s reassuring to see that my grandparents and their children were all together in his final moments,” Adam said. “It seems to have connected with a sense of community and is clearly a moment lots of people relate to. The comments have been so nice, and we’ve seen pictures of people raising bottles of beer in his honor. I thought people I knew might want to see it and respond, but I had no idea just how many people it seems to have touched.”
This story has a lesson for all of us. While we may not always be lucky enough to be with our loved ones in their dying moments, it’s important to cherish the time we have with them before that happens.
We have to make the most of every moment we have with the people who matter.
Adam said his grandpa would have been happy with the huge attention the photo got from the world. “I don’t think he would have minded. He would have had a laugh about it. I think the biggest lesson to be learned and what I believe my grandfather would say is to ‘be kind, love each other, and that family matters’.
Rest in peace, Grandpa Schemm.