HAPPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Original post date: Friday, November 23, 2007


HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

I had this great big idea for a blog for thanksgiving. Joking about how great the pies were and how many I ate. How great the food was and the family interaction. Very Norman Rockwell. It was a great Thanksgiving day. We had it over at Heather's parents house and her cousins were there with their daughter, and Heather's great Aunt and Uncle were there. They are phenomenal people and have lived many lives in their years here on this earth. Fascinating lives, the lives of models and dancers, military and airline pilots, professional water skiers. Crazy they could fit it all in and be good at it all but they did it. Andy wasn't there but he was in spirit. We had cut out heads of him strategically placed throughout the house to let him not be forgotten. The heads were a little too realistic though because every time you walked around a corner you saw him, just his head, and it kinda freaked you out, in a funny way. Thanksgiving day was great, we ate a fried turkey and had the choice of five or six pies. I personally ate four different kinds. The conversation was grand and the girls were very good, except Audrey had hives.

Now when I say hives, I mean she was covered head to toe in them. She was swollen all over and well, not very comfortable to say the least. She is better today which is very good.

Through out the day their was a celebration of Thanksgiving and remembrance because Heathers grandmother Jacqueline Bray passed away the Tuesday morning prior. So although we had a great time we all had those loving and sad thoughts throughout the day. Friday was on the up and up. Heather, her mom, and her sister were going to a craft show, a huge craft show. Jim was going to play golf. Which in turn gave the best part, I got to spend a day by myself with the girls.

Friday morning came and everyone was on their way. The big girls to the craft show, Jim to golf, Warren and the little girls off to the park.

Then I got a phone call from my step mom.

My dad died.

He was ready, we were ready, but you are never ready.

My dad was a wonderful man.

My dad was an alcoholic.

Without an gun, without a knife or blunt object, with just a liquid my dad killed himself. He didn't commit suicide in my eyes, but he still drank himself to death.

I love my dad.

I love my dad.

I love my dad, the man he used to be.

So Friday was a sad day.

Saturday I am leaving in a minute to drive up to Charleston to help with the funeral and visit with family and celebrate my dad's life with the other people that loved my dad.

My dad is not dead.

My dad lives.

My dad lives in our memories, in our thoughts, in our remembrance of him. As long as we remember my dad will live on.

I love you, very much and will remember - forever.