My Dad

no, it's not father's day, well not just yet, but i still want to pay tribute to my dad today. he was an amazing man, a great man, who influenced my life in a tremendous way. he wasn't perfect and never claimed to be; he always understood that he was a work in progress.

my dad, stanley dwight breed, otherwise known as 'dwight', 'bumpa', 'daddy', and 'dad' passed away nineteen years ago today. though he had a triple bypass due to a seriously bad heart attack weeks earlier he was supposedly on the mend. he shouldn't have died, due to the errors of others and more than likely the Lord's 'timing' he did. i can say that his death was one of the most difficult things i experienced in my life. there was a void that has never been filled and will not be until i see him again on the other side of the veil.

i talked with my mom yesterday to see how she was handling the anniversary of his death, which she has always thought of as his 'new birthday'. she was fine. but she told me something that i don't remember her telling me before...when she said goodnight to him at the hospital, just hours before he unexpectedly passed away, he said to her, 'i've always loved the twinkle in your eye.' what a sweet sentiment, how nice to have the last words to your spouse be a compliment.

i love that sometimes i can see his face in our grandchildren, his smile, the shape of his face, his dimples (though they get those from pat as well). while i miss him and wish with all my heart that he could know our kids, their spouses and our grandkids i have to believe he isn't too far away, loving us all, rooting for our happiness and being grateful for us as we are for him.