In life, I believe that the first hero that most kids have is their Dad. For boys especially because Dad is the template that we start to build who we are on. They are the first person that we look up to because they are the first strong male we know. We learn how to treat women from our fathers. We learn what types of clothes to wear for certain function from our fathers. We learn how to interact with friends from our fathers. We learn how to shave and properly tie a Windsor knot for the first time we have to put one on.
I know I can’t speak for every one but I know that my Dad was the first hero I had. As far as I knew, as far as I cared there wasn’t anything that my Dad couldn’t do. As far as I knew there wasn’t a thing that my Dad didn’t know. I always turned to him for advice, I always craved his attention, I always wanted to make him proud. I always respected my Dad and as far as I can remember he had that respect just with his presence because the man never raised a hand to me. I always enjoyed my time with my Dad, there was never a time I didn’t want to go see him. I truly loved him with all my heart and I’m thankful that I had such a wonderful Dad. He’s still my template as I myself now am someone’s Dad, someones hero.
This past Friday Night/Saturday morning my father passed away. He did it peacefully. It came swiftly with little discomfort or suffering. It is the type of passing that I am sure we all hope for our loved ones. Even with all this in mind it doesn’t change the fact that I wish it didn’t happen. I wish I wasn’t over 700 miles away from him and I wish, oh do I ever wish, that I had gotten that last chance to tell him how much I loved him, how much he meant to me… to thank him for trying his best in making me a good man and to simply lay a kiss upon his forehead one last time and tell him good bye.
Even with all this I find that I have actually spent the entire day reflecting not on how much I will miss him, but instead on everything that he had. My Dad lived 80 long and fruitful years, he endured his trials and triumphantly came through them. He had five sons, five grand children, and a wife who loved him and cared for him in his remaining years and who instantly accepted his family as her own.
My Dad was also the most liked person that I ever met with the most friends I have ever known someone to have. He had a great sense of humor, knew how to have fun and knew the importance of getting away from it all to enjoy time with his loved ones.
I love you Dad. I am glad you are at peace and I hope you have them laughing there as much as you did here. I hope you know how much you meant to me and I thank you for everything you gave me and did for me. I’ll do my best to make you proud until, hopefully, I see you again.
Love,
William
