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Today marks a memorable day for America, but for our family it is a memorable day for another reason. Five years ago it was an election day, not presidential of course, but it was a day all five of us kids expected our biggest task for the day would be deciding what Senator to vote for. Instead, our phones started ringing one by one with the news that was impossible to comprehend.
I was standing in my apartment in Amber Valley since I had the day off work I was just getting done getting ready after a grueling workout. It was then that my phone rang. I saw that my brother was calling. I answered with a gut feeling that I made me wonder if I wanted to answer. He asked me if I was sitting down...uh-oh, never a good thing to hear. The rush of thoughts really went to who is in the hospital, who should I be sending flowers to. Never, NEVER ever did I think I'd hear him say our dad died. Just then the phone reception ended the call. I didn't understand - our dad, no way. How? He was healthy, young and vibrant. It had to be an accident, which I was still convinced meant that I could go to the hospital and see him, hug him and remind him how much I loved him. I was prepared to go home from the hospital with him and do anything to heal him. Just then Nathan called back, it was dad, it was OUR dad. It was not an accident, we had no idea how or why it happened. All we knew is that he had passed on by the time our cleaning lady found him on his favorite couch.
Immediately the calling tree began. I called sister Dawn - she called Tina, Nathan then called Shannon. After that, still in shock with tears flowing I called Courtney and my boyfriend. I had to get home to Cooperstown. I had to pack a bag - with clothes for me to attend my own dad's funeral. I was the daddy's girl that suddenly had no idea how to survive without my daddy.
I was crushed...numb...never knowing what to think, do or say. I was silent. My boyfriend and Courtney got me home. Lisa was on her way. And my entire family was meeting at our family home in Cooperstown. We started the process I never imagined to deal with as an unmarried 23 year old.
As each sibling came home we cried harder. We fell to the ground faster. We all wanted to hold one another up, but none of us knew who was going to have the strength. Yet one of us did at the right time. We had a TON of support from friends and family, we shared our last memories with dad, our favorite sayings all while asking why.
We found out that he died from heart disease in the middle of the night. We made it through the funeral (on opening dear hunting weekend) and we began the process of making it day by day. Now here we are, five years later, glued to election coverage. And all remembering our dad and the impact he had on us. Each a different memory.
We love you daddy - we wish we could have had you here to celebrate your 60th birthday.
from your little girl...annie
