A Birthday Wish and Memories

August  is here already and I am wondering what happened to  July . Wow ,where does time go anymore? I warn you that this is a long post and may be a tad rambling.Today is a bittersweet day for me ,it would have been Daddy's 76th  birthday . Three years ago today, we were told that daddy would not see another birthday as he had a malignant brain tumor  located in the center of his brain.We were shocked and saddened by the news.We had noticed  that in the weeks prior to this diagnosis  that he had not been himself. I was washing dishes and looked out my  kitchen window to see Daddy  face down in a row of green beans.His legs were sticking up in the air and that was all I could see, scared me silly !This was the first evidence that something was off with him.No amount of pleading would get him to go and be checked out by his doctor. On Wednesday of the following week (from his first fall) Daddy fell in the bathroom and cut his arm deeply and we finally convinced him that he had to go to the ER  ...this was after telling him that I would not stitch his arm.Then on Friday we were told the awful news,Daddy was never aware what was wrong... he thought that he had just got to hot . He passed away on Wednesday morning so we had 6 1/2 days with him before his fight ended.What a blessing to know that he passed away without suffering as much as he could have with his illness.He did not seem to be in much pain and I knew it was prayers being answered. Daddy had not been able to see or speak for the last few days of his life.For a while on the morning he passed,we were alone and while I was holding his hand he turned his head toward me to say, going home and I love you.I thought he was telling me I needed to go home as I basically  had not left his side since he went into the hospital.Those were the last words he ever spoke.This had to be a gift from Daddy and God as he passed only a few hours later.

This is  a picture of daddy doing what he loved most...farming. This man was my father ,my friend ,and my  teacher.He may not have been a perfect man but he was the perfect daddy for me. Growing up I was blessed with the fact that he and Mom were always home everyday. There were very few days in my life that I was not able to see my dad and talk with him. Watching the way he treated Mom taught me how a husband should treat his wife. Having him as a father showed me how to be a parent to my own son.We were a close family and if there was work to be done on the farm then we all pitched in and helped. He taught me that if you were going to do something then do it right or don't do it.He always told me that there was nothing you could not do if you wanted it bad enough. As a schoolgirl he was my hero, as  I grew older  and I saw his faults  he was still my hero.

After my marriage I still lived by my parents and continued to help them on the farm .If Daddy was working outside ,I was there and if  he saw that I was doing something then  he was there to help me.To be honest no one was able to make me as mad as quickly as he could.LOL! We always spoke our minds,angry or not  and continued to work side by side. There were many times when  I was sick that  I would see him coming across the yard caring  a plate of food for me. He was always here for me and I miss him terribly but I  rejoice in the fact that he is no longer in pain. One of the things I remember most about Daddy was his hands. As a child they seemed so big and as an adult they were so work worn but I always loved his hands.I have seen him catch a wasp to  keep it from stinging me and I have felt those same hands gently wiping my brow while I was feverish.Daddy was as tough as they came and afraid of nothing ,other than a frog.LOL! That one fact has always amazed me ,how could you catch snakes, or a wasp and be afraid of a frog? There were many times in my  life  that Daddy  rescued me from a spider and never told me I should not be afraid of it.

I know that this has been a longish post and may seem sad but I don't mean it that way.I just wanted to give you some history and to introduce you to him. Daddy lived his life in the way he chose and he did what made him happy , not many have that luxury.I choose to remember the good days we had together and not be sad.Even though he may not be here ,I still talk to him daily and feel he is still watching over me.While going through his death ,a close friend  asked me this question ... did you ever wonder why you had him so long? That struck me hard and made me realize that even though he had died I had much to be thankful for in the blessing of having had him so long.Thank you for taking the time to read this post ,and I  hope that you will join me in wishing him a happy birthday. Happy Birthday Daddy! Hugs,Jen