I love you dad

I can’t say he died of a specific disease. Or an accident. Or even old age. Although he was old. His 80^th birthday gathering was the first thing COVID cancelled, back in late March 2020. It’s been said by many, including me, that our healthcare system is broken—but the Veterans Administration healthcare system is on an entirely different level of wrecked.

I last saw him on April 27^th, it was a great visit. His days weren’t always good, but the man I spent time with during that brief stay was my dad through and through. I will be forever grateful for that.

My dad was one of the good ones, I got lucky. He was always there and put family first—a quiet, firm, presence in my life. He wasn’t afraid to say I love you, let us know when we’d done wrong, or to give a strong hug. He taught my brothers and me the value of family, taking care of the things you had, and to not ever stand too long with the refrigerator door open—after all he wasn’t paying to cool the entire house. 

Dad loved the outdoors; I remember as a kid learning what it meant to “play hooky”. He’d called in sick to work, I got to stay home from school (and maybe a brother did too? I don’t remember how old I was) and we all went out somewhere hiking. I think that’s when I learned the importance of taking a mental health break.