Dad

 September 9, 2023 my Dad passed away, but long before the day he took his final breath, he quit living. Dad died from something that was compleatly preventable. Somthing that I refuse to let touch my life any more than it already has, Type 2 Diabetes. This is what I wrote and read at his celebration of life, it is all true but it isn't the whole truth.

My Dad was a hard worker, there wasn't a moment in my childhood where it wasn't evident that he was driven. Dad worked his way up in his career from unloading rail cars to eventually finishing his degree so he could run the show, being the oldest of 5 kids he was born to lead.

My sister and I were sent specifically to my father to help teach him some lessons that only parenting can provide. These lessons included patients, a softened heart, and that not every situation was within his control. (But to be honest he was still working on that last one) Dad always wanted sons but the lord knew better and sent him daughters. Mandi and I brought out a softness in him the world would have never known if he was the father of sons.

Dad's love was:
- vending machine candy hidden in his coat pocket
- a ride on his shoulders when our legs became too tired
- sharing his spicy sunflower seeds and pepperoni sticks our our way to or favorite camping spot
-putting the worm on our hooks so we could catch the biggest fish of the day.
-taking that fish off of the hook because it scared us a little
Dad's love was:
- 4 wheeler rides and finding the best Huckleberry patches
Dad's love was
- curfews, and hating every boy we brought home to meet him, also learning to tolerate the two men that provided him grandbabies.

As my sister and I grew into motherhood so did Dad's heart. As a PawPaw his love was sitting in bleachers, a sneaky 5 dollar hand off for a dollar store shopping spree. It was big hugs soft kisses and lots of laughter.

My Dad walked through the world with a guarded heart, you were lucky if he gave you any part of it. In his memory I urge each one of you to walk through yours with a heart wide open, because love is rare and life is short.