Time

 There is never enough time.

I've tried to write this many times over the past nine days. It's not easy.

After a sudden illness, two major surgeries and nine days in ICU, my daddy was reunited with my mother on September 11, 2024. 

We have a lot of memories and I know they will provide comfort in the days to come but dang, I was not ready for this. None of us were.

Never one to back down from a challenge, he zipped lined across the Royal Gorge one day after his 80th birthday. What a great trip that was!

I'm so grateful we got to take the trip to France in May - a trip he had wanted to make for a long time. He drank champagne at the top of the Eifel Tower at 82. (Mine! He swiped my glass right of my hand!) We saw all 5 beaches in Normandy, Mont Saint Michel and The Palace of Versailles. He was quite fascinated with the baguettes. So much fun.

 People have asked if he kept up with us while on that trip - the truth is we were having trouble keeping up with him! 

They were married in 1961. I'm sure when they said in sickness and in health they had no idea what that would look like. Mother was diagnosed with MS in 1984 and told she would be lucky to make it 5 years. She was stubborn and showed them. They had been married for 57 years when she passed in 2019. He took care of her those last, hard years an did everything he could to keep her home. I know he has missed her these past 5 years - we all have.

The reward for 83 birthdays. Daddy with the two youngest great grandbabies in June of this year. They were the light of his life. No matter what kind of mood he was in when those babies showed up he was all smiles. 

How do you say goodbye to someone who was always there?

It's going to take awhile to wrap our heads around this one.

Love you forever.