My Daddy

He was the first man I ever loved Can you see how cool he was? He shaped my life and made me who I am. I was always his little girl and he did every thing he could for me. He could do anything, fix anything and build anything. He was so talented, gifted and smart!  I could go on and on with all he was and did, but let me just say that I was proud to be his daughter. He had many names to others, but he was my Daddy.

This week, I had to let my Daddy go....to heaven.

Since we realized Daddy's cancer was terminal, I've had one prayer - for good last days and a quick passing.  Tuesday started well, but as the day progressed, his condition deteriorated.

Only later could we see how God led us to make decisions that allowed ...us to have individual final words of love and affirmation and him to pass with dignity in privacy with his family.  Not many get to do that in this day and age. 

We do not grieve as those who have no hope - our hope is in Christ, our Resurrected Savior.  We can only imagine the glorious welcome committee that met Daddy when he arrived: Jesus, his mother and father, his brothers and sisters, and my little one (I'm somewhat jealous that he got to meet her first).  We rejoice to know he is no longer in pain.

Right now, we cry - but we smile through our tears as we share stories and more often than not, we end up in laughter, because Daddy enriched our lives.  He loved life.  He brought laughter and joy in our lives.  We miss him so!

And in case you are wondering...God did give him good last days - he made it through his 80th birthday, Thanksgiving, Christmas and my brother's birthday party.  He also had an unbelievably quick passage into his heavenly reward.  God is good!

"Lord, this morning (although it's always morning there), please hug my Daddy, kiss him and tell him I send all my love.  I'll see him as soon as I get there!"