My Dad - Love and Laughter

As much as I don't want to write another post about my dad's last few months, I feel I have to.   I have to close out this chapter of life and start fresh; replacing the stress and hardship of long trips, hospital beds, and endless nights, for good memories of my sweet daddy.

My dad passed away on Thursday and by Friday evening we were all gathered together in his home - Ruby, all four of us girls, husbands, grandkids, nephews, brothers and sister-in-law.   The house was packed and chaotic, but we were all together.

Food had been contributed by friends so that we could focus on preparations of the service, which we spent most of Friday and all day Saturday doing. 

We each had a job to do - My sisters and I worked on putting together the program for the funeral, David and Ted worked on their rendition of "The Old Rugged Cross" ( my dad's favorite hymn), the brother-in-laws chased kids, Ruby sat with the pastor, telling him exactly how she wanted the service, and my cousins paid tribute to my dad by firing up the grill and providing dinner.  It was a day of family and it was a good day.  

We sat around the table until late at night, telling stories about Dad.  Everyone had something to tell, that made us all laugh.   That's what my dad loved to do - make others laugh.   He always had a joke to tell and as the pastor later said in the service - it was like he was telling a serious story, in which he would reel you in and then give you the punch line.    He was hilarious.    In fact, Brenda, his caretaker, shared a video of him laying in the hospital bed, telling a joke.   Making others laugh made him happy.

The actual service for my dad was perfect; even with several little incidences that might have been negative any other time.   The pastor called a few people by the wrong name, got out of order, and gave David an extra song to sing, but overall, those things just added to the uniqueness of the service.

We allowed a few people to stand and tell stories and every one of them had the same two scenarios - a time when my dad did something funny and how he was always trying to help someone.    You see, he wasn't just a funny man, but a very loving and kind man.   He was always ready to lend a hand to someone in need.

On our last day in town, we stopped by the cemetery to see the grave site, one last time.   And, even there, we found blessings.

I got to show my kids the headstones of their great-great grandparents and great grandparents, as well as other family members.      And, as we were walking toward our car, we noticed an old man that kept driving past.   It turns out, he was my dad's coach in highschool.    What a blessing!   He stopped and told us all about coaching my dad and his brothers and talked about what a good man my dad was.   It was like God sent him there at that very moment. When we finished talking with the coach, one of my dad's brothers and his wife drove up and we were able to visit with them for awhile.   It turned out to be such a blessing that we got there when we did.

After going to the house to say good-bye to Ruby and my sister Tiffany, we decided to eat lunch at my dad's favorite restaurant in town - The Back Street Cafe - where we were blessed even further.   We had a delicious lunch and were recognized by the owner, who ended up paying for our meal.   She graciously took our check from us and told us how much she would miss my dad and showed us where he sat each day, when he would come in for lunch.   It was a special lunch, sitting in the place where he was loved and cared for, on normal days.    I think I'll make that a tradition every time we are in town.

It has been a long journey, but I think we are all stronger because of it.   You never know how families survive these kinds of things, until you're one of them.   Now I know - it's by prayer.  Prayers of all the friends, lifting us up and standing beside us. 

The peace we felt this past weekend was amazing - it truly was.   I will give no explanation for it, other than the hand of God.    He gently guided us; helping us work out all the details.   He gave us strength and bonded us together as a family.     He came through, as He always does, and we are grateful.

My dad will be greatly missed.   His chair, at the end of the table, will be empty, but our hearts are still full of the love we had for him and him for us.

We will always remember and never forget - his laugh, his smile, and his caring ways.

We love you dad........