This is an extremely hard time of year for my Mom, sisters and me - we lost my Dad to cancer twenty years ago just after Veterans Day. At the time I was a first year teacher at Warm Springs Elementary. I had more than enough school stuff to keep me busy that weekend but I wanted to go home to Arago to be with my favorite veteran of them all, my Dad. I didnt regret a minute of it. I knew the cancer was taking over his body quickly, but I was shocked to find theyd move a hospital bed into the living room for him, and he was on oxygen. Only a month or so prior, our plan was to be out elk hunting together that weekend - but ended up spending it sitting on the edge of his bed playing cribbage and trying to make him comfortable. I slept on the couch next to his bed and held his hand all night, every night, and wed talk and tell stories and laugh together in the dark. He ended up in the hospital, and when it was my turn to go home and sleep one night I crawled into a pair of his flannel pajamas and slid into his side of the bed and fell asleep. I woke up to Mom and Paula sitting on the bed next to me, sharing the news that hed passed away during the night while Id been sleeping with my head on his pillow. So absolutely devastating! I laugh - and cry - telling my kids stories about him. I SO wish he was here with us to this day. It makes my heart ache when I think of all he would have taught my kids, and how proud he would have been of each of them. Being a Veteran was a big part of who Dad was - hed been in the Special Forces (Green Beret) in Vietnam. He didnt talk about it much, but we all knew he thought of it and dealt with it on a daily basis. The cancer that eventually tore down his body was proven to be directly related to the Agent Orange he was exposed to in Vietnam so while Im extremely proud of his service to our country Im also mad/sad and feel cheated. Maybe hed be here with us today if it werent for that same service to our country... Going out to be in the woods and scout out the elk situation with our little family today, and then home to a warm fire and family time - because if Dad was here, its what wed be doing, together, all of us! Happy Veterans Day to all ~
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 17:32:49 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015