My Dad died nearly a year ago on July 29th, 2011.
It’s hard to believe a year went by so fast. I suppose, however, I’ve been in a fog through most of it. It’s no easy thing losing a parent. A father.
For all I thought long and hard about what to write in this post, there aren’t enough words. At least not the ones that sum it all up. 'All of it' being a lifetime of memories with an amazing man. And let me tell you, I’m sitting here now, totally blank, not sure what to write. One thing I can say is that he loved and loved well. Certain people came into his life later and I know he poured his heart into getting to know them better, the best way he knew how. I know he would want them to be happy always.
So now I'm writing a blog post about him and it's terribly hard. Why? Well, it’s an unimaginable thing to try to write on a blog about your feelings when you feel so strongly.
The past year has been one of new beginnings. I have to look at it that way... as new beginnings. Because that's what it is when your entire life changes in a single moment, for better or worse.
I still remember those final moments in the ICU last year. Me, mom and my sister, Debbie, were there every day for two weeks. Dad faught the worst type of Sepsis poisoning as a result of chemo and pulled through. He'd had less than a 10% chance of survival. But he pulled through.
We got one more wonderful day with him. We were given the chance to say how much we loved one another. It was a gift.
Regrettably, lung cancer victims don't come off the breathing incubator well. So he faught a hell of a battle only to lose. But we were all holding hands when he passed.
Life changed after that.