Apparantly Thumper shares this day with my father.
I know you guys are probably sick of hearing about my Dad, but I miss him so much and days like this I can't help but have him on my mind constantly.
Tonight my Mom & Sister are coming over and we're making the pizza he made famous. I'm sure we'll reminisce and most likely share some tears as well. I've never been through this before but I imagine the first birthday and all the other first year milestones are the toughest.
I've already put in for a vacation during the last week he lived this year because I expect it to be a very hard time.
Anyway. My dad was a veteran, which of course makes me very very proud.
But I'm even prouder of the fact that while he had a father who was an abusive drunk (grandpa did get better after I was born though, I never saw that side of him) and had been raised to keep his problems to himself, my Dad fought through that, particularly in the last five to ten years.
He was still an old-fashioned guy who felt that his problems were his own and wouldn't share them, but he really opened up to become much more than a father to me. He was truly my best friend.
Though I only saw him a few hours a week I talked to him a lot on the phone, and he was always quick to tell me a joke, or listen to one that I had. We loved to complain about Owens and Walker and most of all Drew Rosenhaus.
One of the last things my Dad said to me in a coherent voice was when I walked into his hospital room and announced that Javon Walker had dropped Drew Rosenhaus. His eyes widened, his face brightened with a smile and he said clear and exitedly "Really! That's Great!"
Right to the very end, as long as he was able to talk, he would greet me with a "hey kid" everytime I walked into his hospital room. It broke my heart when he wasn't able to say it anymore.
I never want to forget him. And I pray every night that one day we'll be reunited.
