Happy Father's Day 2022

The last two years since my father's passing has gone by so quickly. I've learned so much during this time about life, death, and the in-between. My father was a man of character and principle. He worked hard all his life to support his family. He had so much pride in providing for his family and his work ethic was admirable. He was also a man of many talents. He loved numbers, riddles, and crossword puzzles. He was considered a tough guy in his younger years I am told. He was in a band and rode a motorcycle to my surprise. My father could have been anything he wanted to be when we moved to the United States but he chose to let us discover who we were meant to be and he understood the value of education. We learn about life by watching our parents. Being a parent doesn't come with instructions, so we use our parents as guides on parenting. Sometimes parents don't always get it right, especially when they run up against something never encountered in their own life. Sometimes they react the way they were taught by their parents which might not necessarily be the best reaction. It takes patience, unconditional love, time, and a commitment to work through issues with our children, which I learned decades later. The lessons we learn can be a by-product as we begin to understand ourselves and our environment. Unfortunately, if our parents weren't around, then we have to learn things a lot slower and on our own. This could lead us away from our path if we aren't prepared to handle struggles.

I was a sensitive child who later became a distant hurt adult who never believed anyone understood her. I was one of the youngest in my family and I struggled to measure up to the rest. I remember how I was judged and ridiculed by everyone in my family circle when I became pregnant at 16 years old. However, my father was the only person who didn't say a word to me to make me feel bad about myself. I'm sure he vented to my mother but he never shamed me. My father understood me more than I could have ever perceived. He knew I needed to work things out on my own even though I caused both my parents grief, heartache, and pain with my addictions. He had a way with words when he wanted to talk to us about life. He was humble and never sugar-coated anything. He was a very wise man who was loved by everyone who knew him. He was charismatic and witty. He loved to smile and laugh. He was a child at heart and knew how to have fun. My father's smile could light up an entire room. I know he is with me no matter where I am in this life. He encourages and supports me and my family. He always makes his presence known when I am visiting with my family. I had distanced myself from my family for so long because of my own hurt. His death made me appreciate the importance of family. I felt since I caused so much drama in my life, I needed to leave the drama behind after I stopped drinking. So being around family can be hard when they come with so much drama. How many families out there don't have drama?

My father was the pillar of our family. When we lost him, everyone scattered and things have never been the same. Holidays feel a bit sad but we always remember him fondly, especially to uplift my mother who will always grieve the loss of her partner and best friend. Death isn't the end for us, we go on to see beautiful sights beyond our wildest dreams. Heaven is only a thought away and we never stop learning, growing, or evolving. Our souls are infinite and eternal. When we die, it is only the death of our physical existence we lose but our soul essence is still ever so present. I used to fear death until I learned and accepted it is part of life. We are here to learn the lessons from the mistakes in this life. We are meant to discover who we are and why we are here. We shouldn't take life for granted and do the best we can while we still have the opportunity to do something about it. My father has taught me so much about appreciating the now and I will always be grateful. I love you, daddy! Happy Father's Day!