Nobody really wants to put too much thought into how they’d live out their dying days, but the reality is, death comes to us all.

For one dad, he knew his time had come, and he was determined to make the most out of the last few weeks he had on the planet.

Norbert Schemm, 87, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer of the colon. This was devastating news, but he didn’t want himself or his family to mope about, feeling sorry for him and his diagnosis.

Instead, Norbert, of Appleton, Wisconsin, decided that he and his sons needed to enjoy some “lad time”, as they had in the good old days – so he arranged for the four of them to have one last beer at his bedside at hospital.

A photo of the family gathering was posted to Twitter by Norbert’s grandson, Adam. It showed Norbert’s sons grinning at the camera, grouped around Norbert in his hospital bed, each holding a bottle of beer. The photo touched so many strangers’ hearts that it didn’t take long before it went viral, and was shared across the internet.

Speaking to one news site about the photo, Adam 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.”

Unfortunately, Adam was right – this was to be one of Norbert’s last days in this world. He passed away a couple of days later, surrounded by those who loved him most. Norbert had been married to his wife for 65 years, and found peace in the fact that his sons and grandsons would look after her when he was gone.

Adam added: “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.”

Adam was at first hesitant to post such a personal photograph to social media, and was worried that it might receive mixed feedback – but the response was overwhelmingly positive, kind and supportive. The tweet has since been retweeted 30,000 times, and is still making its way across the Twittersphere today.

Fellow internet users started to share and comment on the post with their own stories about their last moments with their loved ones.

One Twitter user said: “Did the same thing with my Dad in May. Cold beer and a Yankee game. My condolences.”

Posts like Adam’s remind us of one thing: life is short. Making precious memories with our loved ones is one of the best uses of our time. One survey found that Americans spend just 37 minutes of quality time together on a daily basis. In some cases, it’s only when a family member reaches their final days, like in Norbert’s case, that sons, daughters, partners and other family are forced to look back at all the missed opportunities.

Having to quarantine in our own homes right now is testing for us all, but if there’s one good thing to come out of it, it’s that it’s giving the opportunity for family bonding like never before. And Adam’s photo is a touching reminder that every minute matters.

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Source: Shareably, studyfinds.org, Today