Very early Saturday morning I lost one of the most important men in my life, my dad. It was completely unexpected and took my entire family by surprise, but after a soul shattering day where I thought the tears would never stop and the loss was so raw it felt like my body was being ripped apart, I am feeling much better and feel a sense of peace. How is this possible just a day later?
Last night I saw my dad's face...it was as clear to me as if he was standing in front of me and at that moment I felt a sense of calm come over me and while I am still teary today, I am not sobbing uncontrollably as I was yesterday. While I will miss him everyday for the rest of my life, the initial shock of his passing is wearing off and I know now that he is resting in peace. I know what he would want me to do and that is to be strong for the rest of my family, especially my mom; they had just celebrated their 56th wedding anniversary.
My father taught me everything I know about working hard, taking care of family, and being true to your word. He loved to cook: my mom said that one of the reasons she married him was for his prowess in the kitchen; he loved to play cards and could beat anyone at a game of spades; he worked every day of his life right up until the end and never, ever complained because he would always do whatever he had to for his family. That was the most important thing in his life, and he always taught us that at the end of the day, no matter what happened, all you have is your family and he was absolutely right. He was an amazing man who will be missed by everyone who knew him, and we were so blessed to have had him in our lives for 80 wonderful years!