Dad

This post is gonna be a tough one to get through.  As an only child and a daddy‘s girl words can’t describe what losing him feels like.  I never expected to get that call that something is wrong or have to make the decision to stop life-saving measures that had gone on far too long.  But here we are.  He was tough on the outside but soft on the inside.  He had a love for all things sports.  From coaching Babe Ruth baseball and Pop Warner football, to his love for the Tennessee Vols, to traveling all over the world to play golf with his buddies, to his love for watching me play softball and cheer, to watching his grandkids play all the things, to years of season tickets to Nashville Predators, he loved it all.  He loved to travel.  He loved to be outdoors.  His love language as joking around and giving everyone a hard time.  He loved his family and friends.    

I knew Dad didn't want a big production when it came his time.  He wanted to be cremated and he was probably cringing when he saw we did a visitation.  But that wasn't for him.  I knew there were a lot of people who loved us and just wanted an opportunity to be there to support and love on us that we thought it was an important thing to do.   

Below are some of the pictures we choose to put together that played at the visitation.  It was a perfect representation of the things and people he loved and how he lived his life!

This is the last picture that I have of us all together before he left us.  It was taken a month prior where we went on a cruise!   Cruising was one of our favorite things to do together!  I cherish this time with him more now knowing that was our last trip together.  He may have been in pain or unable to do all the things he may have wanted to do because of his recent surgeries but he didn't let that stop him.   

We also wanted to honor and celebrate his life.  He died July 6th and his birthday was July 14th so we decided that on his birthday we would have a big Celebrations of Life for him.  It was full of all his favorite things and his favorite people.  It was at the Church at 116.  We had his favorite music, favorite foods, favorite drinks in honor of him.  We also gave friends and family and opportunity to speak about who he was to them or tell a funny story because there were plenty of those! 

His home away from home.  Long hours, late nights and missed family functions for his business.  

I think about him everyday.  Some days are sad and some days I just think to myself that I know he's got one of the best seats in the house watching what all is going on in our lives.  It just sucks that he can't be right beside us enjoying it with us.   He was and would still be so proud of my boys.  And I think he was and is still proud of me too.  I know what I meant to him.  I just hope he left knowing how much he meant to me.