Father's Day 2008

Subject: Did you send your dad a father's day card?

Date: 6/14/2008 4:48:12 P.M. Central Daylight Time

From: eCards.jonmgqn@pfsformatshift.com

The above email notification was one of many in my box yesterday reminding me of the upcoming observance of Father's Day 2008.

I was immediately overcome with a heavy feeling of sadness.

This is my first Father's Day without my Dad.

What was once a celebration now just makes me feel my loss even more. Even though it was usually just a phone call and a sending of a few cards....(generally one funny one followed by one "mushy" one)....it was always that feeling that today was a special day for my dad. Of course, it was made harder by the fact that I lived so far away...but, it still felt good to honor him on this day.

So, here I sit thinking about this sweet, gentle man who made many sacrifices along the way as he worked hard to raise his four girls...put us all in braces when our teeth were not aligned...and put us all through four years of college when the braces came off...watched three of us get married....watched two of us get divorced.....smiled with delight at the births of his four grandchildren...(all boys!!!!)...and glowed with pride as he held his first great grandson in his arms up in Minnesota....and finding out that my kids had honored him by making Owen's middle name my Dad's last name....making sure that the family name would live on.

I miss his being in my life and my children's lives.

I will especially be thinking about him on Tuesday when Adam and Jenny bring my first granddaughter into the world...and then in September when Jeffrey and Janet become first time parents with their new baby to be. He would have enjoyed meeting two more great grandchildren so much and would have been a special part of their lives with his wisdom and quiet presence.

As I am writing these thoughts down, I am realizing that I can still honor my Dad today.

I think that I just did.

Happy Father's Day Dad...I love and miss you.