Dad
August 10, 1922 - October 2, 2008
"For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?
And what is to cease breathing, but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?
Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.
And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.
And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance."
Khalil Gibran
Dad has finally returned home... extremely frail, but home to his own comforts, surrounded by those he loves, who also adore him.
Thank you all, my dear friends, for your strength, support and prayers... it made the days so much easier to travel.
These totems are more examples of his wonderful carving talents... they range from 3 to 5 feet tall and were completed prior to his stroke. They contain symbols of his passions, especially his love of fishing. Cherished items indeed.
Drawing has never been my "thing"... for me it was a skill more frustrating than pleasureable and without practice it truly does become even more elusive. However with large amounts of time being spent sitting in the hospital with my Dad, my fingers were begining to itch for some kind of creative outlet. And what better subject - catching him in a moment of peace and rest.
I want to thank every single one of you who have left a note, called and emailed me with your support during these difficult days. Dad went into complete kidney failure after his surgery and has begun dialysis, with the hopes of getting him out of the hospital soon and into outpatient therapy.... he says he misses his cat! I have been unable to access the internet so please forgive my long bouts of silence. I know many of you are also going through your own difficult times and my thoughts stay with all of you... I leave you with a photo which I posted a while ago showing my Dad's amazing carving talents - what he refers to as "playing around" :0) xox Deb
Many of you know my Dad suffered a major stroke last June, leaving him paralyzed on one side of his body. Recovery has been difficult with little improvement. He was able to return to his home with 24 hour care last October... one month later, on Thanksgiving Day, his wife of 63 years, my Mom, passed away. Life has been a struggle for him, as he has tried to come to grips with the realities of a life far different than anything he had even imagined. He now faces yet more challenges, fighting many odds as he lies in an intensive care unit trying to recover from serious surgery. Through this all, I have rarely, if ever, heard a word of complaint or a question of "why me". He has faced every hurdle with a grace that I could only hope to display myself. What I would like to ask is that you please hold him in your thoughts yet again as he heals and faces another new day. xox Deb
Among my mother's many boxes of saved albums, letters and photographs was this photo of my grandfather, Edward. This was taken in 1913 when he was about 15 years old... one of the youngest pictures I have ever seen of him. What amazes me is how much my youngest son, whose middle name is Edward, looks like him.