With Pen in Hand....

When I feel the need to laugh, I will think of his undying sense of humor... The same old jokes that somehow seemed as funny as the first time you heard them, EVERY time he told them...

When I feel the need to cry, I will think of how I lost him so unexpectedly... I will grieve that I was not able to say...Good-bye...

When I feel the need to be comforted, I will turn to the music he loved so much... The carefully selected tunes he had nurtured throughout his life. The ones that had special meanings and messages of life... The ones he had lovingly marked...Dad's Favorites...

I will cling to the many times he called just to say..."I love you"...

When I want to think of his weaknesses, I will think of how he always said "If it wasn't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all"... I will think of the many life situations he endured causing him to say this... A chronic lung condition forcing early retirement, being homebound, problems with his nerves, 2 children born with hearing loss, and the early death of his oldest son...

When I want to think of his strengths, I will think of his incredible willpower and the major accomplishments of this willpower... His weight loss and his ability to stop smoking completely... His kindness and gentleness were his shining attributes...

Bad luck dad?... No, not really... The legacy you have left to all who were touched by you along the path of your life, will remain in our hearts for the rest of our continuing journey through life and love...