Today was a pretty rough day for me.
It was the first Father's Day without my daddy.
I didn't get to call him and wish him a Happy Father's Day. I did that last year. My daughter and I sent him a gift from Amazon. Actually, we sent him 3 of his favorite things; Andes Creme de Menthes(120 pack), The Big Giant Sudoku Book, and an avocado peeler.
I remember trying to order that stuff on Amazon. I didn't know how to do it to ship it to a different address. So I called my son, and I gave him my gift card number and he ordered it for me. When it arrived a week later, my daughter and I sat on speaker phone while my dad opened his gifts.
We could hear the excitement in his voice as he opened each gift. He thanked us and said good bye and that was the last Father's Day we "spent" with my dad.
I didn't realize how not well he was by that point in his life. He never used the avocado peeler and he only did a few pages in the Sudoku book. Only a few of the mints were gone by the time my daughter and I had managed to get to see him in the hospital last September and his hospice at home before he went to Heaven.
My dad was pretty darn amazing.
He had so many hats he wore during his time here on earth. He ran three gas stations when we were younger; He got his real estate license, He ran the weenie wagon, which was basically a trailer that we loaded up every early Saturday morning with cooked hot dogs, and soda and candies for all the local kids and spectators at the baseball park. He remodeled our basement into a very cozy bar/rec room area. We spent many Christmases down in that basement as well as graduations, birthdays and whatever occasion was meant to be had for whatever season it was at the time.
He had a Black '39 Chevy that he took to the local drive in where all the old vintage car owners would hang out on a Friday and Saturday night. He loved to tinker out in his garage, with his little transistor radio playing oldies on it. I loved the smell of my dad's garage, it smelled like oil and gasoline. He had an old wood burning stove in there, and a Pepsi machine.
He was always a financial wizard. Great with numbers and saving money. He loved crosswords, Sudoku and during our Christmas visit of 2018 he did the Wordy Gurdy puzzle in the paper with my daughter a couple of times. He would always yell up the stairs from the kitchen, "Kalaya, what time is it?" and she would answer "It's Wordy Gurdy time!" and come down the stairs. I remember when we were on the plane coming home, I had asked my daughter "What time is it?" and she said, "it's Wordy Gurdy time" and started to cry.
Then I started to cry.
My dad was a comedian, a jokester, an all-around fun guy. He liked to watch Columbo and Rizzoli and Isles. He also loved to watch Guy Fieri on tv. He loved watching 60 minutes back in the day and loved Andy Rooney's 5 minute blurb at the end of each segment.
He was a fan of Elvis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard and others while also enjoying the occasional song from Blondie on the 8-track tape in the '78 Cougar which was a gift for my mom one year.
I remember one time he drove me to work when I was 18, and he looked at me and said, "You look really pretty Barb," and I said "thanks dad!" I can still see the smile on his face.
I can still feel the smile on mine.
I know he is in a better place now, but that doesn't help this hole in my heart heal any faster.
In honor of my dad this evening, I played Chuck Berry's Johnny B. Goode and Elvis Presley's "How Great Thou Art" while I ate an apple pie and half an avocado as I cried so hard. I didn't think I would cry eating his favorite breakfast, but I did as soon as I opened that apple pie. My dad always had an avocado(whole one) and an apple pie for breakfast(which for him was around 2 p.m. or 3 some days). I remember before I left, my son and daughter went out to a fest in town and it was just me, my mom and my dad in the family room.
Dad said something I thought he said cherry and my mom said, I think he wants Chuck Berry. So I played a video of Chuck Berry on my phone and he smiled and was kind of jamming to Chuck and he raised his eyebrow and I said, "He's pretty good huh daddy?" And he said "Yeah, he is".
That was our last conversation ever. OUR one moment. The only moment that I will forever remember, besides my great hair day on my way to work with dad. I wanted more moments, but it wasn't meant to be.
But I treasure the moments I did have at Christmas, and the summers in the weenie wagon, and hanging out in my dad's garage watching him tinker away, cigarette hanging out the side of his mouth. That was my daddy and I loved him so much. We may not have always agreed, but I still loved him nonetheless. And I know he loved me back, because he told me so in the hospital as I left one night.
My daddy is now in Heaven with our Heavenly Daddy and I know he is happy to be there. God has wiped his tears and suffering away.
My dad was loved by SO...MANY...PEOPLE!
I know that if I had written his obituary, this is what it would of said:
"This wonderful man that we knew and loved, as he was surrounded by those who loved him, went home to be with our Lord Jesus.
He wore a coat of many colors this amazing man; he was a loving husband, father, papa, great-papa, brother and uncle and friend to many; He was skilled at so many things throughout his life; He was a gas-station manager, a weenie wagon connoisseur, a comedian, a mixer of midouris and other fine drinks, a philosopher, a dreamer, a mechanic, a gardener/landscaper who took pride in his finely manicured lawn and home.
He enjoyed dabbling in crosswords and that lively puzzle called Sudoku. He took pride in finishing the Wordy Gurdy before family members could yell the answers first.
He was brave enough to take on the neighborhood squirrel in his attic, however, the squirrel had won the Attic battle of the 80's.
He loved to play Scrabble, Mille Bornes and we believe he may have cheated at Monopoly which is how he most likely ended up with Boardwalk and Park Place on several occasions although we have no proof of the truth to this tale .
Perhaps he was just a really lucky guy when it came to Monopoly.
Fred was a child of God who loved God and called out to him until his very last breath.
He gave his all until all he had was given to the lord.
He will be missed greatly by all who loved him.
Dance with Jesus you are home!
We will always love you and never ever forget you Daddy."
I'll see you in Heaven daddy, save me a good spot okay?
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