10/23/2026
I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on the snow, I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the mornings hush, I am the swift uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not think of me as gone, I am with you still in each new dawn.
I have lost my Dad. I am heartbroken. I am shocked. It happened so fast. He was 83, and yes, I will admit now that he was slowing down. I knew it, I saw it. But, you never really think it will happen, you lie to yourself and brush it off, and tell yourself, ahh, don't worry about it now. But, that day does come and you have it thrown at you. You have to hold it, you don't want it, but you have to hold it, you can't give it to anyone else, this is your father, this is your mentor, your safety, your sense of direction... he needs you to have payed attention and listened to what his wishes were, it is not up to me this time, he has given me what I wanted my whole life, it is not for me now, it is for him. He was the strongest man I knew. Always worked to provide, always there to give the shirt off of his back. Now, the tables had turned, and it was my turn to give back. I let him go, I had to, I could not see this man who was never sick a day in his life, no really, I have never seen him sick, never even a cold. I could not let the machines beeping and chiming air into this lifeless body continue. Such a decision to have to make. I will admit, I did not want to. But, he raised me to have respect, he raised me to do the right thing. So, I can say to you, I no longer have any parent left. All I have are memories. But....but...I do know that he and my mom are together again, and to me that is everything. ❤
