A gift of 4 years & 4 months

My dad passed away 3 years ago today, August 22, 2005. On one hand it seems like yesterday on the other it seems like many years ago. During these 3 years we have added 2 and substracted 1. We have added Jonah and Ellie & substracted Stephanie, with one addition on deck. We have seen what New Orleans looks like underwater, and nominated an african-american for president. But unfortunately we are still fighting a senseless war in Iraq. All in 3 short years.

He died at the young age of 91. Born September 17, 1914. He lived through the depression, WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He also traveled a good deal, working in Detroit and Baltimore and down in Florida, basically anywhere he could find work after the war. The funny thing was that it wasn't until after a surgery in 2001 that we heard many of the stories of that time. He had a brain tumor removed from between his eyes on May 25th of 2001. At 86 years young, he was in surgery for almost 7 hours. I personally did not think he would ever come out of surgery. That morning as they took him back I said my good-byes with the belief that at his age he probably wouldn't come back. But he did. He came out of surgery, hungry, and even though he had lost 75% of his vision was able to recognize me when I came into recovery. Now don't get me wrong, the recovery was anything but easy. My mother, sisters and brother-in-law can testify to that, and I can give you a first hand description from his time in the hospital.

But he did survive and lived over 4 years. He was able to dance at my daughter's wedding, see 4 of his great-grandchildren born (Bryson (finally a red head), JJ, Noah & Logan).

He had time to catch us up on stories we had never heard, say his good-byes and to die at home and not in a hospital. It was truely a gift of 4 years & 4 months..

"We walked troubles brooding wind swept hills And we loved and we laughed the pain away

At the end of the journey, when our last song is sung Will you meet me in Heaven someday"

Johnny Cash "Meet me in Heaven someday"

Syd