ScipioCowboy
More than meets the eye.
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When I was growing up, my dad and I had a relationship that lacked many of the traditional components. We never went hunting, fishing, or camping. We never played catch or any other sport. Instead, I came to know my dad for his candor and forthrightness, and his tireless efforts to instill certain values within me. He preferred spirited discussion and conversation to physical endeavors.
My dad could be uncompromising at times in many of his beliefs -- a quality that I found very annoying in my teen years but that I came to respect and even rely on later in life. I didn't always agree with him, but his resolve, intelligence, and unshakeable faith became steadying forces and pillars of strength in my life, especially in my Christian faith.
This past Wednesday, I lost my dad to heart failure.
He was only 56, and his death was completely unexpected. There were no warnings or tell-tale signs. He simply collapsed and died at work. My mother, my two sisters, and I are still looking for answers. We hope the autopsy will reveal something. According to his co-workers, my father had complained of being "overheated" just prior to his death. For the past 20 years, he's been lobbying for better air circulation and the installation of an air condition at his work, and he received neither.
Over my 31 years of life, my dad has often told me that he loves me. Sadly, I very rarely said it back...even though I love him very much. I was always too embarrassed or self-conscious to say it -- and now, I regret it. More than almost anything, I want one more opportunity to tell my dad how I truly feel about him.
Please, tell your dad that you love him as often as you can, no matter how awkward it may seem. You never know when your last earthly opportunity will be. I certainly didn't.
My dad could be uncompromising at times in many of his beliefs -- a quality that I found very annoying in my teen years but that I came to respect and even rely on later in life. I didn't always agree with him, but his resolve, intelligence, and unshakeable faith became steadying forces and pillars of strength in my life, especially in my Christian faith.
This past Wednesday, I lost my dad to heart failure.
He was only 56, and his death was completely unexpected. There were no warnings or tell-tale signs. He simply collapsed and died at work. My mother, my two sisters, and I are still looking for answers. We hope the autopsy will reveal something. According to his co-workers, my father had complained of being "overheated" just prior to his death. For the past 20 years, he's been lobbying for better air circulation and the installation of an air condition at his work, and he received neither.
Over my 31 years of life, my dad has often told me that he loves me. Sadly, I very rarely said it back...even though I love him very much. I was always too embarrassed or self-conscious to say it -- and now, I regret it. More than almost anything, I want one more opportunity to tell my dad how I truly feel about him.
Please, tell your dad that you love him as often as you can, no matter how awkward it may seem. You never know when your last earthly opportunity will be. I certainly didn't.
