Thursday, March 2, 2017
hey dad, my memories of you include so much more movement than these past few years of getting you in an out of that chair, or in and out of bed, or even before that all those times nagging or cajoling you to walk with your walker and do your rehab exercses with me..I remember running thru dunegrass alongside the highway because you'd stop for me to pick up cans and bottles to recycle for my nature club....I was what, 10? and the time that cardboard box was full of kittens, not empty cans...and all those crack of dawn bike rides to the end of the boardwalk at Ocean City, back when you rode with us, on that old bike of yours...stopping for sticky buns on the way home....and I have such special memories of my trip to Europe pop, and all those times I met you for a fancy dinner and a good hotel...and laughing as we tried to pronounce Scheveningen...and taking photos of the dahlia fields...then meeting mom in Italy....I loved to travel and thought we shared a love of that freedom, until I saw how much you really just wanted to be home with mom when you were on the road...I'll never forget that dad, it made such an impression on me... just like how after your pituitary tumor surgery you never went on a trip without first calling and saying that you loved me...just in case...and how much more emotional and demonstrative you became dad, well I thank god for that now...I found some of the letters and cards I'd written you...I'm sure it was mom who saved them, but you always encouraged me to write, dad,and were proud of when I did... something else we shared. I've written an epic in my heart thanks to your love and support. I'm so grateful for all the times that we laughed and all the times you frustrated the heck out of me, just because we were together...You showed me unconditional love dad and though I'll miss you, you'll always be alive in my heart. You were a good father and a good man, and I'm honored to be your daughter. I'm glad you lived to see me walk this walk. Rest easy and know you live on in all of us. And Give Kris a big bear hug for me too.
