9 years ago today, my Dad left me. He left this Earth to be with my Mom. AND, I know this beyond a reasonable doubt!
You see, My Mom came back to get him. But, I didn't know that at the time.
My Mom died a little over a year before of Pancreatic Cancer. It was, without a doubt, the biggest tragedy of my life. My Mom was my best friend. She was my biggest fan! She believed in me even when I didn't. She comforted me when I wasn't well. She held me when I needed hugs. She knew when I wasn't me.....even when I didn't know I wasn't me. She SAW me. Everything. And, loved me anyway. Then, she left me. When she was sick and.....well......"dying" (even though we didn't say that").......I knew. I even told my sisters.....My Dad wouldn't survive without her. I went to college. I knew the studies. Men don't survive without their wives unless they get a new wife within a year. And, MY DAD WOULD NOT GET A NEW WIFE. She was it for him. I knew it. I knew it with every breath I took. He would not move on. He would not replace her. So, his death would not a be shock.
But, it was. About six month after my Mom died, he had a heart attack. Most of arteries to his heart were blocked. He had to go in for open heart surgery. SO, this was it. Right?! My Dad wouldn't survive this. But, he did. Granted, he wouldn't wake up from surgery for no "medical" reason other than he didn't want to. So, he had to be taken to long term care facility. But, it didn't make sense. I knew he didn't want to live without my Mom. How did he survive this? How did he finally wake up from surgery weeks after he wasn't supposed to?
HER! She had a plan. And, she needed him to live it out. During this time, not only had I lost my Mom, BUT, I lost my Grandma, my Uncle and My Aunt was diagnosed with Brain Cancer. So, I truly had A LOT on my mind. And, sighed a bit of relief that my Dad was coming back to me. And, we spent Christmas together. It was without HER. But, my Dad was doing well. I remember him playing tennis on the new Wii. I remember being thankful for seeing this! I do. I remember that well. Then, winter hit. Depression hit. I begged him to visit me in Dallas. Please. Finally, he said yes. He would come stay with me for a week. He'd stop by and pick my sister and nephew on the way down. I was excited. He was getting out of the house. It was a Monday. I decided to work because they wouldn't be there until after work anyway. About 11 am, my sister tested me, "Have you heard from Dad?". WHAT? He was supposed to pick her up at 9AM. NO! I googled the Missouri Highway Patrol. And, went into my break room at work to call them. They said he had two possible routes and gave me the two numbers to call. The first person quickly answered that they had no accidents. I called the second number and gave them my Dad's name. They paused and said ummmmm. It was at that exact moment in my life that I knew my Dad was dead. That long pause and the person didn't know what to say after that. They didn't use words. YET, I knew. I was standing in a very nice downtown Dallas high-rise break room. It was very sunny on that June day. The sun was shining through this big window. It was very quiet. I was alone. Holding desperately to a cell phone for one last piece of hope. One possible...but, wait. One good thing in three year long slow slide into complete and utter darkness.....please. But, I knew. My Dad was dead. It was June 1st, 2009.
This isn't the end of their story.
