My father

My father died 12/21/05. He had been sick and we knew the end was near. Still, I was very sad when my brother called to tell me he had died in his sleep. I had always wanted to have one more chance to see him and tell him Iloved him, as I had done just the saturday before his death.

My mother decided to wait a month for the memorial service, to avoid ruining anyone's holiday. The memorial will be this Saturday. My mother and brother met with the pastor last week to discuss the service. The pastor asked that I e-mail him and thoughts I had to help him with the service. Here is what I wrote:

Dear Pastor,

My brother Greg told me you would like me to e-mail you the things I am grateful to my father for. I hope the following will help you in preparing for Saturday’s Memorial Service.

I am grateful to my father for instilling in me a love of the English Language. I was taught to use precisely and to enjoy its nuances. I was also taught an appreciation for the humor it contained, mostly in the form of very bad puns.

I am grateful to my father for giving me a love of music. God has used music to give me joy, solace, comfort, and strength. My father also gave me the courage to use my gift of singing to bless others.

Mostly, I am grateful to my father for the years of wonderful memories I have of him. I was blessed to know him not just as a father, but as a friend and traveling companion. I will miss his joy at singing along to a good song. I will miss his laugh at hearing a good joke. I will miss his smile and I will miss his hugs.

In closing, I would like to share with you two of my father’s favorite quotes. In speaking of jokes, my father would often tell us, "If you have to explain them, they’re no good!" And the advice I wish I would always remember, "Make sure brain is in gear, before mouth is in motion."

Thank you for the source of comfort and strength you have been to my family during this hard time.