Father`s Day

As this weekend has come, once again, I think of my sweet Daddy. It has been 37 years since he died, but he is so missed, still... This year has been a hard one. My heart still aches as I rememeber Mother. That loss is so fresh and hard to realize. As we heard the dreaded word, "cancer" last summer, it brought back that day, all those years ago, when we were told that Daddy had cancer. How could it be happening again?

Mother`s Day was hard and this year, it is especially hard to have Father`s Day come, realizing that both of our parents are now gone and in the presense of the Lord. But as I am missing them both, and reliving some of our childhood memories, God is reminding me of where they are and what they both must be doing. What a picture, what an awesome thought.... I realize fully, that without God, without the hope that only He gives, our journeys with them having cancer, would have been impossible to bear. Without the hope of where they are right now, we could not have gone through it. Thankful that God is with us in all circumstances and in the midst of trials, that is when He brings us closer to Him, if we let Him.

What I miss about my Daddy is just his presence of goodness. I never heard him argue with Mother. He loved her so much.... Theirs was a love story that was dreamed about. He left that legacy with us, to love and to love unconditionally. He was always there for family, taking care of everyone. I remember so vividly after he died and I was struggling with the fact that he was gone, I said, that God just decided to give him some rest after all those years of taking care of people. Then, Mother took his place and took care of all the ladies who were left... It was if they were born to take care of people. Aunts, uncles, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, mother in laws.... they loved them all!!

So, today, I am missing them both but will honor the memories of all that my Daddy was, for this Father`s Day weekend. He would have loved all these grandchildren and great grandchildren that have come into the family. He would have loved more boys in the family.. They would have all loved him so.

Thank you Lord, for my Daddy you chose for me, for bringing Mother into his life and the relationship they shared and the home that they made for us, for the memories , for all the good times, for taking him home to be with You when it was time and for bringing them back together to sit at Your feet. Take good care of them and let them know how much they were loved...