Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Thankfulness

It was difficult for me to post to my blog after such an emotional time. My Dad passed away two months ago, on July 6th. I sketched this while chatting with him during a visit at Rehab. He was 94 years old, and leaves behind my Mom, who is 84. A World War II vet who fought in the Battle of the Bulge, Dad received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. But that's not all, of course.

You know, from a distance, one can be philosophical and say, "How fortunate; he lived such a long life." And although that's true (and I've thought that of others in the past), I've come to realize it doesn't begin to touch on the personal, complex feelings, that include loss and also, for me, the positive way he touched so many lives in our family. He was a gentle man and a gentleman, of that notable generation, with strong values and a nice sense of humor. He led by example and was loving and good-humored until the end. All of my siblings felt he became the essence of Dad in the final days. We are grateful to have had him as long as we did!

6 comments:

Linda Popple said...

Very touching, Pam. I'm sorry for your loss. Your dad sounds very special. I'm sure he would love your sketch and your tribute to him.

Andrea said...

Really sweet,"gentle" sketch of your dad to go along with your loving, heartfelt words.

Judy Hartman said...

A beautiful tribute to your dad, Pam. It sounds like he was a lovely and admirable man.
Good to see you back and I'm looking forward to seeing you soon.
Hugs

Pam Perras said...

Thanks so much for your comments; he was a special man.

Sandra Galda said...

Hi Pam have not visited your blog in a while an just saw this post---please accept my condolences on the loss of your father. Such sad news. I hope you are ok.

Amy Friend said...

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss Pam. It sounds like he was a wonderful man.