As Amanda stepped inside, she noticed hints of Walter’s past: photos of him as a young Navy officer from World War II, a shadow box of medals, and a model ship. But those memories were now distant shores for Walter. He kept asking questions in a loop, and Walt confided, “The hardest part is knowing he only has about 90 seconds before he forgets who we are.”

Amanda arranged for the chaplain, Matthew, to visit. When Matthew arrived, he noticed the hospice booklet that unsettled Walter. He suggested a new approach: they put up a Bible verse on the wall, and beside it, they placed a small mirror labeled “Child of God.” Now, when Walter looked at his reflection, he saw those words and remembered who he was, even if just for a moment.

One day, Walt pointed to the mirror and asked, “Dad, who is that?” Walter looked at his own reflection and smiled, “He’s a child of God.”  Then Walt pointed to the picture of himself next to the mirror. “And who’s this?” Walter gave the same gentle reply, “Well, that’s a child of God.”

In the end, time moved on like Walter’s fleet after the war. At Walter’s funeral, Walt stood up to give the eulogy and shared, “I once asked how my father could live with only 90 seconds of memory. Now I realize that even with perfect memory, I never truly knew why I was here until I saw myself as a child of God. My father taught me that.”

And so, with only 90 seconds to grasp his identity, Walter Hayes left a legacy of peace for his son, now a precious child of God.