As many of you know, my dad passed away from a stroke on September 12, 2008.  Losing dad has been a big blow to our family as we try to figure out how to move on having lost him at a relatively young 65 years of age.  As I said in his eulogy at the funeral, dad never feared death, having found Jesus as his savior early in life.  As was so common for him, he always worried about those left behind.  What I do know, is dad died happy, enjoying some of the best times in his life the last three years.

I think for us, the biggest loss is the time we will never get to spend with him.  James adored Clara, and while I am thankful he got to spend 21 months with her, I’ll always regret all the years he won’t get to enjoy with her.  The one thought that goes through my mind is how unfair it is to have lost a wonderful dad so early.  Of course, the next thought that runs through my head is how dad always said, “Son, life isn’t fair.

Thank you so much to everyone who has helped my mom, Erica and me through this rough period.  Your thoughts, prayers, and gifts overwhelm us.  Words cannot express our gratitude and what your friendship has meant to us.

If anything, the one thing I have figured out about this whole ordeal is that we have to make the most of the days we have and not worry about the little things.