Dad had neuropathy for many years and had a lot of pain.  He was also one of the first coronary bypass graft patients back in 1975.  He was told it was good for about 15 years.  Lasted considerably longer than that.  God blessed us.  He was a terrific father and I fully believe that my concept of God our Father is based on my relationship with my Father on earth.  He is now free from pain and he has a brand new young body.  He is with my Mom and my little brother, James, and loads of loving family who preceded him.
 
I think about those who were there to greet him and I have to smile for sheer joy.  If there are tears in my eyes, they are not from grief but because I know he is happy and he has the desire of his heart, Heaven.  That has been our prayer for him for the last 3 years.
 
There is a scene in the movie The King and I.  Yul Brynner is very regal and majestic as the king and Anna is standing beside him as he introduces his children to her.  They all come in, bow and take their place - except for one little one who runs to him and grabs him about the knees and hangs on.  Then she turns loose and shows him the respect due the king but with a twinkle in her eye and a smile on her lips.  She clearly adores her father, the king.  That is me.  That is how I feel about God, my father, my daddy, my abba.  And that is what my father taught me by being a loving father.
 
He missed Mother so very much.  She was his life.  They were a true picture of Christ and the Church.  They were not perfect but they loved each other and each of us.
 
Dad played the piano when he was young and my spot from a very early age was in his lap as he played.  He sang to me - "Beautiful Brown Eyes", "Daddy's Little Girl", Shine little Glowworm", "Playmate" and many other songs.  He told the most wonderful stories.  He taught me to swim.  I jumped off his shoulders into the Concho River at Shady Lane, my favorite spot.  Maybe I can find it and revisit it while we are home for his funeral.  I know the river is not as wide nor as deep as I remember it from childhood.
 
My first job was keeping books at the family business.  I met wonderful and very interesting people there - doctors, entrepeneurs, ranchers, farmers, businessmen.  People were drawn to my father.  He was a mechanic and had his own business.  He whistled and hummed hymns as he worked on their cars.  They knew they could trust him to treat them fairly and to be honest with his work.  His business was a fun place to be.  Both my grandfathers worked there with him, my brothers and me.  Good memories.
 
I love my father very much and I honor his memory.  He would have been 83 this month.  His mind was still very alert and clear.  He did not go blind (when I was 9 years old, he was told he would be blind from glaucoma within 6 months and he had experimental surgery to save his eyesight).  He could not read because his eyesight was failing but he did not go blind.  Up until this weekend, he was able to go out with my sister and her family.  He was blessed.  He sneezed 3 times this morning and died peacefully.
 
I have been able to make funeral arrangements, write an obituary and send a picture for the paper using the phone, fax and computer.  Ain't technology grand.  I have to be at the funeral home on Thursday morning to sign papers.
 
He is a WW2 Vet and he will have a color guard from the AF.  He was in the Army Air Corps, a paratrooper during the war.  The Army Air Corps became the AF.  His unit was the forerunner of the Army Rangers.  He never talked about his service to his country.  The memories were too painful.
 
I am dead tired.  This evening I partook of my favorite method of relaxing - Joe and I dug holes and planted crepe myrtle.  I needed the physical labor.  They will be beautiful.
 
Pray for our family members as they all head for San Angelo in the next few days.  Dad's cousin is coming from CA, brother from down near San Antonio (he has Parkinsons), Tommy & crew from FL, Katie and Georgia from VA, DD from SC, us from OK, brothers from Nevada and Grapevine, TX. and niece from Michigan.  Pray that my nephew ( a Marine) is able to come in from VA.