HEY DAD....

Hey Dad, How are you doing? Did you catch up with Dan Hennessey yet? Have you spent time fishing with Worth Bellamy or Grandpa Jack or Grandpa Dale? I know that your mom was glad to see you again. Grandma always felt bad that you went home before her. Is heaven beautiful? Do you feel more at peace or do you regret wrong choices and paths not taken? I am sure that being wraped in the love of our Savior has eased any doubts that you may have had. Today is the day that you went home to be with our Heavenly Father and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I remember your fight with cancer and how it robbed you of your ability to take care of your family. One of my biggest regrets was not being able to say "goodbye" to you before you went into a coma. I will always remember talking to you on the phone as I was working hard and late selling first aid supplies like you did and you said goodbye to me on the phone. Soon after we spent the last night with you as your slowly slipped away from this world. That was a special experience for me. It was hard to let you go but I knew that you would be free of the pain that you had been feeling. After the funeral life settled back to normal but there were customers who knew and missed you, friends who always said that I looked and acted like you and even long lost friends who did not know that you had passed away. One day I was trying to find someplace and I went to call you and I remembered that you were no longer there. It is always the little things that you miss about someone. I want you to know that I am a lot happier this year now that I am a father. It has always been hard having Father's Day come up right after your passing. It only took 12 years for Liz and I to be parents but we finally made it! I want to thank you for preparing our 2 children for this world. I am sure that you had a special talk with them about Liz and I and reminded them to be patient with us. We are new at this parenting gig and it is a bit hard at times. We talk about "Grandpa Larry" often and how specail he is to us. I want to thank you for always being there for me. Sometimes I didn't want you there. sometimes I did not understand you and you did not understand me but no matter what you were always there to pick me back up, dust me off and maybe even remind me of what I did wrong! I have always regretted the fact that we had a disagreement before your last father's day on this earth and I did not come and hear you speak on fatherhood at church. Less then a year later we would be honoring you at that same chapel for your funeral. I want you to know that I am trying to install the same values and beliefs in my kids that you gave to me. It was a rocky road at times but you taught me a lot about life. I have always tried to follow in your example by giving my everything to my family and making my wife feel special and honored. You taught me a lot about marriage and treating your wife special and as a equal partner. You taught me to always defended your wife and kids no matter what. Sometimes you were a little over zealous in this but no one could say that you did not give 100%! I have worked hard at also trying to not make the same mistakes that you did and hopefully my children will do the same someday. I am sad that you are not here to laugh at me as my kids do the same things that I did but I know that you are watching somewhere....

Take care dad, we love and miss you!