Goodbye

We finally said goodbye to my Dad this past weekend. It seems like forever that he passed away, it was actually 28 days. Why did we wait so long to lay him to rest? To allow family to get here to say goodbye. For my brother Rick and I it was very long goodbye, we sat through along time at the hospital and then what seemed like a too fast goodbye at Hospice. We planned his cremation, his funeral, chose pictures, quotes and what to say. We are still going through his things. Not even close on that one. How do you close a chapter on such a huge, happy, wide open life?

A very good friend who did not know him very well but attended his memorial said to me..."I did not know your Dad well but after seeing the pictures and hearing your brother talk about him I feel like I know him." Good, that is what we wanted.

The picture above was taken at the Prospect Gorge, we were on one of our outings with my cousins, not sure how old I was. Apparently I found a perfectly smooth, round rock. I gave it to my cousin. On Saturday they gave it back to me and said we want you to have this, to remember, as a memento. It is now sitting on my desk.

This is the Dad I choose to remember, the awesome Dad. The Dad who did everything with us as kids. Who loved my mother, his garden, his kids, his pets and his mother. Who taught us how to love our kids, our pets and our mother.

Rest in peace Daddy, Gramps, Dick. This is it.  I won't write about you anymore. I will love my kids, my pets and my mother. Thank you.