A Devastating Loss

I am deeply saddened to write about the passing of my father last week.

My Dad was a wonderful man. Above anything else, he was Christ-centered, humble, and wise. He had the wisdom one acquires from spending copious amounts of time studying the Bible.  He was also a great Dad. He coached little league sports for years, attended all of our activities, and I often joke that if I had entered a staring contest, he would have attended each and every single match - literally. He was there for everything.  No matter what the event.

While I would love to do a full obituary/memorial at some point, it's hard to come here to this page especially, because my Dad was my most loyal reader.  When I first started posting photos of the girls almost six years ago, he was the one who would ask for more. "When are you going to update?" he would ask. "I keep looking on there every day," he would say.  I went from posting once or twice a month to once or twice a week, and he would still ask about increased frequency.  He read every day, and during our visits he would tell us and the trio everything on the blog since the last interval. He asked about everything! I was initially surprised (Dad's online activities just barely extend  beyond e-mail), but I shouldn't have been because he had watched gymnastics, cheering and piano performances... If we participated, he was there. Naturally, out of love, he came here to my blog to see his grandchildren daily. He even visited this site during his last morning, on November 7th. This site has been our family scrapbook (with a huge dose of minutia thrown in for fun), and I always knew my Dad was "in the stands" reading, watching and looking for more. He probably could have done without the fashion and pop culture posts, but he devoured updates on our family. My dad has 8 grandchildren, and my stepmother has another 14, at times creating many demands and a very busy schedule. These posts were a way to keep him updated, and I loved that he read it all. Writing when I know he won't be reading is hard, lonely and heart-breaking.

His words are equally precious to me. I have re-read our e-mail communication over the past several years, thankful for every word and every opportunity taken to express love, pride and joy.  I have read every highlighted passage in his Bible and his handwritten notes. He was unassuming and sometimes quiet, and I am desperate for insight into his notes about spirituality, life and how to live.  Although he instilled his values in us, I know there is so much more to be learned.

Dad, we miss you, we love you, and we cannot wait to see you again.