My father died last week.
When one of your parents dies, the world seems to shift underneath you suddenly, lurching into a new dimension. Suddenly, everything & everyone around you seems different… your remaining parent, your siblings, your significant other, the way your eyes see the world in front of you. Decades of your life seem to fast forward in your mind, at dizzying speed, leaving you astounded, trying to catch your breath.
On this day of Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday, I am thankful because my father is now free of mental & physical anguish, that I am able to spend time with my mother to help her with this transition, that Dennis understands completely the importance of my being here, that most of my siblings understand how crucial our support to her is now & will be in the coming months, for the way my parents raised me as the oldest child because it is what has made me who I am today, for the countless times during my 49 years that my mother has said “You’re just like your father”, & for all the memories I can keep forever. Fly away on your journey, Dad. Your wings are no longer broken.
