See You at the River

 

Twenty years ago, on this day......life changed!!  I said goodbye to one of my best friends ever....my dear dad!!  In all of the things that have happened to me in life, no one person, or any one event has had the impact on me, like this one simple man.  He probably changed the course of my life serval times over...I hear his humor fill the room frequently because he taught me the value of humor and boy...he taught me how to laugh and see humor in all sorts of things......If I close my eyes I can see his smile, and it makes me smile.....20 years later!!!  He taught me all the usual things about work and money......I would have been prone to panic about so many things in life........ if he had not talked me down on numerous occasions......he was calm and logical and just kept nailing it into my soul and one day, I just got it......things would all work out.      

He taught me about simple things like a love of animals and simple country life and to this day I can still find the beauty in the land. He was a WW2 Veteran and without question we knew that we stood at attention when the flag rolled by us......we knew the price of freedom wasn't free.  By far, the one character trait that I admired from this man the most was his love that he had for myself and my family.  The way he believed in each one of us.......when I'm sure there were times when we had not earned that deep love.

As we all have many stories of our dads...I could fill a book but I will leave one behind... Long before I was married, my dad and I went shopping for a snow blower.  We bought the best one out there and it was mine.  A snow blower in Indiana isn't needed a bunch but when you need it - you need it! Years went by and I married......it was not a good marriage....but I never mentioned much to my dad....I knew he knew certain things that happen but I didn't want to disappoint or worry him him.    
Ten years after my dad passed the marriage ended.....and it wasn't pretty....my ex-husband wanted everything and somehow along the divorce the snowblower came up "missing"!!  
Four or five years later, I was adjusting to my new life and doing pretty good... One day while at my mom's, she mentioned that dad had left some things for me in a stall in his barn and she had forgotten to tell me. After making my way to the stall, there were two things ....my saddle ....which I had spent so much time in and had always had a love for the horses!!!  I smiled....it was sweet memories!!     And there in the corner was a snow blower.   That snow blower grabbed ahold of my heart........it told me he knew what was going to happen......he knew!!!    ........and he knew,.......but more than just knew , he expected nothing less than for me to pick up the pieces and keep on keeping on!!!!  And to let me know....he was still right there......still believing in me.     About a month before he died he was doing book work for me ...without looking up he said.....you raise them boys, little Jacks, and then you remember....... I'll be waiting for you by the river....don't you forget me....I'll be waiting there for you!!!
So on this 20 year anniversary.......thank you ....thank you...thank you......
Thanks for believing in me....always!!!!      

...See you at the river, my friend!!!! I love you forever!!

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