On this day, five years ago my dad passed away in his bedroom with me and mom sitting by his side, awaiting each breath, anticipating his last. It finally came, and that was it. He was gone. It was June in Tennessee, had not rained in 3 or 4 weeks, we looked out his bedroom window, and there it was, raining. A sad day indeed.
As I think back on this day, I can still recall almost every painful detail of the funeral and the days and weeks following, as my family tried to come to grips with our loss. What were we to do without dad? I thought the hurting would never stop. I had not lived in this world ever, without dad. How was I to go about living in a world without my dad? It was like I was now a part of some club that I didn’t want to be in.
Dad would always say “I had a wonderful life.” With my mother, the love of his life by his side and with peace in his heart, I would have to agree. He did it all, raised a family, traveled the world, and did it with strength of character, integrity, and honor.
Thank you, Dad, for everything. For the laughter, the encouragement, the support. For letting me go as I grew up. For giving my life wings.
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die … a time to weep and a time to laugh … a time to mourn and a time to dance… Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
While my Dad may not be here on this earth anymore, he will always be in my heart. The time to weep and mourn his death has passed, and NOW I shall laugh and dance ~ until we meet again.
While I fear my words are poor vehicles in sharing my thoughts, I do hope the following photos will speak volumes, and provide a glimpse into the life of the man I so dearly loved and so deeply miss.
