At 87-years-old and in the throes of stage four colon cancer, Norbet Schemm knew it was his time to say goodbye. But before he did, he requested one final thing from his family – to have one last cold beer with his sons.
One final ‘cheers’ to send him on his way.
His family made sure that their patriarch got his wish. They even managed to snap a heartwarming photo of the occasion which has since touched thousands of people across the world.
A beer with his sons
One of his grandsons, Adam Schemm shared the family moment on Twitter and it immediately hit the world straight in the feels. The photo showcases Norbet in his hospital bed surrounded by his loving family, including his wife, Joanne and his sons, Bob, Tom and John.
In the picture, all four men pose with beers or beverages in hand as Norbet’s wife sits beside him and holds his hand. What stands out the most? The smile on Norbet’s face.
The photo was snapped the evening before the loving grandfather passed.
Meant a lot to everyone
Prior to the photo, Schemm’s grandfather had been in the hospital for a week. Things weren’t looking good so Adam’s dad texted the family to tell them to come to say goodbye and have a beer with grandad.
They all gathered and his aunt Paula took the photo. Adam then shared the image on social media as a way to “honour” his grandpa.
It was a really good family moment that I know meant a lot to everyone,” Adam told CBS News. “The look on everyone’s face is something to cherish, they are all smiling including my grandfather.”
He’s doing what he wanted to do. When I look at that picture it gives me solace.”
Internet reacts beautifully
After Adam shared his sentimental last call, plenty of others shared photos of their own final drinks with their grandparents.
One grandma opted for shots of Bailey’s with her family before saying goodbye while another image shows a grandson helping his granddad drink his final beer.
I swear, someone’s chopping them onions again.
Norbet’s last drink has since gone viral with thousands of likes and retweets on Twitter. It’s such a genuine and beautiful moment – we can see why!
He would have got a laugh out of it,” Adam said of how his granddad would have reacted to the social media fame. “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.”
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