Thanks, everyone, for the kind thoughts and prayers. My family was lucky that we at least had the chance to say goodbye to my dad. He passed away late last night Eastern time, in the US. I think he was happy with all that I said, which I prepared carefully beforehand. It was much different than when my mother died, about 18 years ago. With her, I was in total denial and frenzy.

My brother is still in the hospital. I need to talk to my sister about his condition, as yesterday the main focus was obviously on Dad.

@Crazy Hitch, I don't think my call with my dad exceeded 15 minutes. I was lucky that it was a video call through WhatsApp, so he saw me and I saw him, thanks to my sister holding the phone. I'm sorry you had to say goodbye in such a way, too, but am glad you expressed what you wanted. @Scooter9, this closure was definitely more beneficial for me than my denial when my mother was passing. Thanks for sharing about this.

@JaneOnceMore, that is a sweet coincidence regarding my screen name. I had almost forgotten that the anglicized spelling omits the "e" in the French "Soupe".

@Samicat, what a sad end of March this is for us, because of the losses we will have endured. Yes, how sweet it would be to meet up with all of our lost loved ones in another place. However, what I said to my dad was that he will always be alive and with me while I'm still living, as well. In so many ways. Regarding the "@" feature, the challenge is to type the person's screen name exactly as it appears, including any spaces between words/names and the precise capitalized/lowercase letters. So, excluding the quote marks, mine would be "@Soupe du jour". I know the "e" after the soup part is confusing sometimes, as it is the French version rather than anglicized one.

I did read everyone's posts and want to send hugs for all who also need support. @BeyondtheRainbow, it's good that your mental healthcare team are aware of your current depression struggle. Please stay safe. I hope spring will soon lift your moods.

@bizi, I was listening to some jazz yesterday, thinking about my dad and his family. Dad loved Django Reinhardt's guitar playing. His family would have jazz music jam sessions when my paternal grandfather was still alive. Granddad ("Pop Pop") was a professional trombone player and also played guitar and most all other family members played an instrument, too.