Billy Graham's Daughter Says He's 'At Peace'

Ruth Graham, the daughter of the Rev. Billy Graham, says her father is "at peace" but that she had to tell him who she was during a recent visit.

The world-famous evangelist has been ailing ever since he celebrated his 95th birthday in November at his home in Montreat, N.C.

"He's comfortable, and he seems to be at peace," Graham told Charlotte's WSOC-TV Monday.

She said she has taken the six-hour drive from her home in Virginia to see him several times, including Sunday morning when she said he seemed alert and happy to see her.

"I told him who I was, and I told him that I loved him and he said he loved me. He indicated that he was uncomfortable, so I said 'Daddy, are you in pain?' And I said, 'Does it bother you to hold my hand,' and he said, 'Wonderful,'" Graham told the station.

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"You know, so he likes holding my hand. He likes people to hold his hand," she added. "His vital signs are very good, he's very strong, but his body is just wearing out, you know, it's a lot of miles on that body."

Describing him as a "softie" at heart, she said he was never "the disciplinarian in the family," which included five children. "He just loved us, and he loved to play with us, when he was relaxed and he was rested."

"He had such grace and sweetness," Graham told the TV station, "and my father really taught me about God's grace. So I'm grateful for that, but I dread the day when he won't be here. I've never been in a world without my father, and most of us haven't."

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