Let's put a positive slant on it...

I've been thinking about how to remember my Daddy on this day. I went back and read all my blog entries from that horrible week two years ago when I sounded so hopeful on Tuesday and ended up so devastated on Sunday. That's the kind of action that causes Beej to spiral downward into the funk of all funks. So, I tried thinking of the happiest things about my Daddy. Oddly enough, quite a lot of them involved his relationships with people other than me. He had a way about him that drew people to him like crazy. He was real.

Real crazy.

This isn't the best picture of any of these three people, but since it's nearly Thanksgiving, I'll post it and explain. Every year, my Daddy took my kids out to "shoot" a turkey for Thanksgiving. They would drive to the grocery store where he gave them rubber bands so they could "shoot" turkeys until they got the one they wanted. It was a tradition. A strange tradition, but a tradition nevertheless, and they all took it very seriously. I'm not sure what's up with those hats, but I'm almost 100% positive they were his idea. Daddy desperately wanted to be remembered. He would truly want us to cry and be sad on this day. And before you try to convince me that he'd never want us to be sad, let me just tell you not to waste your breath, because he absolutely did. He went miles and miles out of his way to make memories for all of us and even if we were to TRY to forget him (as if we would) his presence is so strong in everything we do that it would be completely impossible. I can't even turn the steering wheel on the car without being reminded of him. He spent a very large portion of his existence on this earth coming up with ways to exist in all our hearts long after he was no longer on this earth...and I'll say he did a bang up job of that.

Sadly, some people will never know a Daddy like mine. Instead of thinking I've been robbed, today I'll try to remember how blessed and lucky we were to have him as long as we did.