My Dad

Rehearsal night for Brandon & Blair's wedding.
October 5, 2013

Another amazing and important man in my life has passed away. My last blog I believe was about my dad turning 90 ... just 10 days ago. (I had some computer issues, I actually wrote this on 2/27/13, but posted it today). He died on Monday night. February 25, at just about 7 p.m. I believe that he took his last breath as we were all getting up and heading for a yummy pot roast my brother-in-law had brought in for us ... but I stood next to his bed, and I felt the little butterfly like patter of his pulse ... and he was peacefully quiet already soaring on a new journey. Now I will admit that there is a lot that has gone through my mind in the space of about 48 hours ... but mostly what I've thought about today and most of yesterday was ... my dad was an amazing man.

• Amazing ... no he wasn't college educated, he never graduated from high school ... not even middle school, but he was intelligent and wise beyond compare (and I do know a phd or two)
• Amazing ... no his wealth will not take much to measure in dollars and cents, but he measures up with the most wealthy of men, his wealth measured in deeds and words.
• Amazing ... several people has stated in cards, posts, messages, and words that he was the kindest man they knew. I don't think he set out to harm, hurt, or smirch any person's name or reputation.
• Amazing ... need help, I wonder in his lifetime how many people he reached out a hand to help.
• Amazing ... humble would be best described with a picture of him beside the definition in Webster's Dictionary.
• Amazing ... in his last days he still was kind. Even in his fear, his aches, his exhaustion, he still smiled, he still said thank you, and he didn't complain. He just prayed.
• Amazing ... I just looked up "amazing" in the dictionary ... so now I don't think it's the appropriate word to use to describe my dad. You see the definition is: "causing great surprise or sudden wonder" ... hmmmmmm I'm not sure that fits. Although, having known him my whole life, perhaps upon his death as I look back on a life well lived it does cause me great surprise and sudden wonder.

You see:

•  As a little girl, I imagined all daddies were like my daddy.
• As a young girl, I knew that I had a nice daddy and assumed all daddies were like that.
• As a teenager, preparing to marry, my new honey ... my Doug, was so much like my Daddy that I still had know idea.
• As a mom, watching him with my kids ... he just loved them each deeply
• As an adult daughter, he started to tell me more often that he loved me, and I knew it, even if he hadn't said it.
• As an "old woman" ... the ripe old age of 51 ... I know that not all little girls were blessed with the kind of daddy that I had, I know that not all grandpas are like the grandpa my kids were blessed with; I know that not all elderly people are still kind; and in the past days my surprise is that he truly was amazing to more this his little girl, but to his church friends, to my friends, to the nurses, and CNA's.
• As a broken-hearted daughter, standing in the hall, I watched young ladies (nurses and CNA's) enter his Care Center Room ... and as they left, wiping tears, I knew that my dad touched the lives of so many, simply by being kind and sweet.
• As a sister ... making plans with siblings, my brother and oldest sister made a comment, "He lived out his faith by offering grace, even to those we may not deem deserving." They reminded me that my dad's legacy was showing each of us to live out the faith we cling to.

My father was a great man. My dad was a strong man. My daddy was my hero. And my Poppie was a sweetheart. I hope he rests in peace, in the arms of his Father, with his brother and Savior, beside his parents, siblings, wife and my sweet Doug. Amazing grace was shown by an amazing man who lived an amazing life, and I think I just now figured it all out (well for today anyway).

Until soon,
Vickie