August 19, 2008... Today makes seven short years that the greatest man I ever knew, my precious Daddy left this temporary home called earth and gained his angel wings so he could watch over me and the rest of my family from those streets of gold.
My hero... My first love... My Superman...
One of the most valuable possessions in my life because to me the story behind it shows how priceless it is... if it's only to me. It appeared at a time when I needed it most. And if you are family and know how it got where it did when I found it, please don't change my story. I want to believe it was put there for a reason.
On Tuesday, August 19, 2008, I lost my Daddy to pneumonia and complications with cancer. It was not the cancer that took him. He had already beaten Stage 4 liver, lung, and bronchial cancer the year before. Was on the way to beating the brakes off brain cancer when the pneumonia set in and fluid was behind the cancer scar tissue where it couldn't be seen. That week was one of ups and downs. My mother's name is Faye. There was a tropical storm brewing and spinning off the Georgia coast that was named "Tropical Storm Fay". Of all the names they had to name it Faye, which to us was kind of comical.
On Wednesday, we went to Sim's Funeral Home to make the arrangements. Most of those, Daddy had already taken care of due to his first diagnosis the year before. Since Mom lived in Douglas and my brother out of town, I was the one who took the stake to mark the plot in the cemetery for the upcoming burial. I just needed to have it out there before Saturday morning. I had gone by the cemetery every day that week at some point during the day and just sat there dreading the events about to take place in a few short days. I sat bedside my Granny Doris & Papa Ott's tombstones everyday and talked to them. Talked to Daddy even though he wasn't out there yet. I sat on the very edge of Granny's headstone every time I went out there.
On early Friday morning, through the tears and the thunderstorms, I headed out there to put the stake in its proper place to get everything in order for the next morning. As I was walking up to the grave site, I noticed something different about my usual spot. The was something there waiting for me. As I got closer and realized what it was, as I picked it up, I completely lost it. I began crying uncontrollably as I had done many times that week. As I picked up the silver necklace with the silver heart charm on it, I knew it had been placed there just for me. The charm is a heart inside of a heart. To me that represents that no matter the time or the distance, Daddy will always be there with me inside my heart. It was comforting to know I had that assurance he knew what I was going thru and watching me from the heavens.
I bump into people around town who always tell me good stories about my Daddy. To hear how much everyone thought of him and respected him makes my heart swell with pride every single time. One thing's for very sure, he left an amazing legacy behind. Proud I got to call him my Daddy!
On early Friday morning, through the tears and the thunderstorms, I headed out there to put the stake in its proper place to get everything in order for the next morning. As I was walking up to the grave site, I noticed something different about my usual spot. The was something there waiting for me. As I got closer and realized what it was, as I picked it up, I completely lost it. I began crying uncontrollably as I had done many times that week. As I picked up the silver necklace with the silver heart charm on it, I knew it had been placed there just for me. The charm is a heart inside of a heart. To me that represents that no matter the time or the distance, Daddy will always be there with me inside my heart. It was comforting to know I had that assurance he knew what I was going thru and watching me from the heavens.
I bump into people around town who always tell me good stories about my Daddy. To hear how much everyone thought of him and respected him makes my heart swell with pride every single time. One thing's for very sure, he left an amazing legacy behind. Proud I got to call him my Daddy!
I have several other blog posts in storage I've been sitting on for several years. Like this one, it is hard to type through the tears. Thinking I may need to get the out and attempt to post them very soon.
I miss his smile, his laugh, his blue eyes, his boots walking across the wooden front porch when he was getting home from a long run, his Old Spice cologne, his green Speed Stick by Mennen deodorant smell fill the house as he was getting ready to leave out on another run, his green Irish Spring soap, his 2 liter Diet Pepsi in the fridge, just every thing about him.
He had a way of making every one around him feel like someone important. He never let you feel like less of a person no matter what your social or financial status. He saw everyone as an equal.
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I will be doing a separate blog soon on this song by Cole Swindell. I have a blog I wrote after my first visit back to the cemetery to visit Daddy's grave too. It is only two miles from my house. Until then, you need to watch the new video by Cole. This is an amazing testament of raw emotion when you go back the first, the second, and even the trillionth time.... Amazing video!!!
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The other day a friend of mine who works at a radio station posted this song by Craig Campbell on his page. I was the one who needed to hear that song at that moment. It is called "Outskirts of Heaven." It reminds me so much of Daddy and exactly what I expect he's been doing up there for seven years. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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Three of my favorite things in one picture.
My Daddy, an amazing south Georgia sunset, and a church steeple.
Perfectly timed photo.
