Last Update from Florida
Its late on Sunday night after a long and hard day surrounding my father's passing. We had a party for my dad earlier today that was far and away the most difficult time for me yet.
It was held in a park just up the street and attended by a couple of hundred people who all knew my father and had loved him. He truly was a magnificent man. I will be constructing a series of pages dedicated to him with lots of pics, commentary and his unabbreviated obituary among other things. I might even be able to get a copy of the video from the party.
It was, as I said earlier, the most difficult time for me. I know why too. It became impossible to tell myself, as I addressed the crowd of gathered people to say a few words about my dad, it became impossible to delude myself further and I was forced to accept the fact that my father died last week. Intellectually I knew it but the emotional commitment to the concept was not quite so forthcoming. It came today.
As my best friend wrote in an email over the weekend, I needed to cry. I needed to vent the anguish and angst and emotional charge that's been building ever since I first found out. I tried my best to be as strong as possible but was damned near overcome towards the tail end of my short talk about him. It was the most difficult moment I've experienced in a very long time. I will transcribe the words I said on my dad's behalf when I'm back home in the next few days and post them to his tribute page that's already in the germination stages.
But really, overall, the day was festive, fun and a good time to spend with all his friends who knew me and I knew most of them from my time living with my Dad and Judi outside of Chicago when he was first diagnosed ten years ago. The outpouring of sympathy, love and touching rememberances was almost too much to bear. But in the end, it was good and I know my father, where ever he may be, enjoyed the gathering of his friends. And I am sure he was laughing along with everyone else during the kazoo tribute (and no, I won't explain that further).
He was an extraordinary man, my dad. And he will be sorely missed by everyone who knew him. He was special for many, many reasons but one of the most important was that he was friendly and honest and caring to every single person he met. He took the time to get to know people, he knew more people than anyone I've ever met, touched more lives in a good way than anyone I've ever known. He was one hell of a great guy.
And I will do my best to emulate his stellar example and be a better person because of him.
But for now, I must get to bed for tomorrow is a long and harried day of travel back out west to home, work and my future. But I've also gotten a chance to reconnect with a wonderful group of friends here.
That and time with my two nephews (and the rest of the family, don't get me wrong) was the best medicine I could ever imagine. These two little boys are wonderful in more ways than could ever be measured. I will enjoy watching them grow up. And will, hopefully, one day have children of my own for them to look up to, look after and shepherd.
