Friday, October 31, 2008

Dad and Me Together


He is getting old, my dad is. He is now on the down-side of 82, tires easily and hurts alot.

And now . . . he has Lewy Body Dementia.

I'd always worried it would be his weak heart that would take him away from me before I was ready to let him go. Are we ever REALLY ready to let the people we love . . . go? Now I am worried this new disease will take "WHO he is' from me, before his bad heart takes his last breath from HIM.

So, before he forgets the important things in his life, like me :) I post this for him. That he might know, that he might truly realize, how important he has been, is, and will be to me. For eternity.

My rock.  My constant. My biggest cheerleader.  My daddy. Everything he is to me, and everything I feel for him, is embraced in that one word.

In our lives, my daddy and I have lived this poem. I read this at his 70th birthday party, it was emotional and apt.  Now, it's even more so. As we approach it's last stanza, I like to be reminded: that tho' we might be apart for awhile, in the end, we'll always be together. Always. Even if we are waiting on eternity to reunite us. 

My Dad and Me Together

I often think of days gone by
Back when I was a lass.
Of how I often loved to be
A taggin' 'round with Dad.
Dad taught me by example
Things that time and space can't sever.
And many a happy time we've had,
Dad and me together.

I remember once, 'twas long ago,
While walkin' down the lane,
The birds were singing here and there,
Each one his own refrain.
Dad taught me that old adage
About the truth -- birds of a feather,
And I kept thinkin' as we went,
Yes, Dad and me together.

The years passed by, and changes came --
A family of my own.
But many a time we went again
To that old country home.
Dad's steps were slow and shorter now,
But still it seemed he'd rather,
And soon we'd be a walkin' 'round,
Dad and me together.

Dad's gone now; he's left us here
Lonely, sad at heart.
We always knew the time would come,
Some day we'd have to part.
But if I, like Dad, can sail life's sea
Through rough and stormy weather,
There'll come a time we'll always be
Dad and me together.

Author Unknown