* My Father, My Hero *

Daddy Don taking it "slow and easy" in Mexico

March 21, 2005....The day we said our final good-byes to you, Dad, was one of the hardest days of my life. The family had gathered the week before, knowing that your passing from this earthly life was near. We spent our time just thankful for the opportunity to be together. We massaged your feet and back, played soft music nearby to comfort you, visited and shared stories, brought you some of your favorite things to eat, administered medications to ease your pain, and finally....brought a minister to anoint you and pray with you.

At first you enjoyed the company and the many visitors who dropped by to see you and share small talk. As the week progressed, your memories became more disjointed and jumbled. You didn't always make sense, but we savored every minute knowing the time was short. We sat by your bedside and held your hand. On that final day, I lay next to you on the bed. I snuggled up close and put my arm around you....needing to be as close to you as I could. The television was on and your sons were watching some sporting event....long forgotten. You had stopped talking the day before and your breathing was slow and shallow. There wasn't much more to do but hold you close and make you comfortable.

I raised up on one elbow....my eyes searching the face of the man who had been the representative of my Heavenly Father on earth. The man who had laid down the law in our household, but who had also showered us with his love. I recalled the many "father-daughter" adventures we shared over the years. You taught me how to ride a motorcycle on grassy hills and row a boat in the moonlight. You encouraged me to run for student government in school, even when I knew I wouldn't win the election. It wasn't the winning that mattered as much as the trying. For you it was always...."the principle of a thing".

Your love, encouragement, help in times of trouble....your strength, wisdom, support, and poetic creativity were all appreciated by your family. You may not have always been the most patient at times....but we all knew we were loved!

Your final breath was a quiet one. At first we didn't even realize your spirit had slipped the earthly bonds that tethered it. We looked at your peaceful face and then at one another....questioning. No words needed speaking at that time; for we all somehow knew....deep in our hearts. You had left our world. We clung to you for a time, finding it so hard to say good-bye. Tears flowed freely, as they do now when I think back to that day.

We spread your ashes near the blinking buoy on your beloved Hood Canal. Whenever I leave town after visiting Mom, I think of you as I pass by. I remember the buttercups we scattered in the water in your memory. I remember your songs, poems, and life lessons. I remember your courage when faced with the bad news that your cancer had returned....and your decision to accept the finality of this last good fight. You showed me what courage looks like and you showed me what love looks like. Thank you for that Dad. You will always be my hero.

Dorothy