Next week is fathers day... I think about my dad often. I am reminded of the last time that I was able to speak to my dad while he was still coherent. He was excited because he was seeing a new doctor that advised him that he had been misdiagnosed and that with the new prescription he would be back to normal in a matter of weeks... He sounded better than he had in months!
As we ended the conversation I said, "I love you dad". He responded that, "I am glad to hear you say that son" and then we hung up... Unfortunately the new prescription did not work... and we soon found that the original diagnosis was accurate... You see, my dad was diagnosed with "early onset Alzheimer's" disease... There were good days and bad, the disease takes it's course in about 8 to 10 years... It was not very long after our last conversation that he began to show the more advanced stages of the disease, wandering, fits of anger, frustration... often incoherent... We finally had to admit him into the hospital... My dad past away September 5th, 2002... He was only 66 years old...
I am writing this post because as Father's Day approaches I realize that many of my friends reading this still have your fathers in your life... One of the things that I can cherish for the rest of my life is that while he could still understand I had the opportunity to say, I love you...
Folks, there is nothing in the rules that say you have to wait for Father's day... remember tomorrow is never promised. Tell your dad and all of your loved ones that you love them, and do it every chance that you get... To all of you dad's, Happy Father's Day...
Rod White
In Memory of Farrow White Jr
"I love you Dad"
7 comments:
Love you man! KC & TC
I think you learned how to be a great boss from being a great son, and then a great father. I hope you and your family have a wonderful Father's Day! You'll have to read my entry for my Dad.
I know it sounds cliche', but don't ever wait to let the people that mean the most to you what that means. It happens to often and we can never recapture the opportunity.
Rod.
I know you well enough to know the day you take your last breath, you will have few regrets about the integrity with which you lived your life. Not trying to take away your right to be human and do the stupid things we all do, but you are a rare man of high integrity and this message is just a glimpse of the man Rod White.
Happy father's Day to you and I hope you have many more.
And lest we forget as Fathers; Father's day is a day that we should be focused and dedicated to spend time with our sons and daughters and let them know how loved THEY are by their father as well.
Let's love our kids dads; you never know when they could be taken from you either.
Phil Boyer
Yes I remember your dad too....he was my favorite uncle....I admit that I was critical back in the day when he divorced your mom....I now realize that by anger and disappointment came with a price...that is not not letting him know how much I loved him despite his shortcomings (and now me realizing my own)until he had fallen ill....you're right cuz, we should not wait for a day on the calendar to let our dads know how we love them, nor anyone else for that matter....love you Rod....hope to see you soon...:)!
Came to this blog post-Father's Day but glad I did. I am honored to know strong men who know what's important in life, and reading this blog and the posts the follow reminded me of my own dad, who was a jewel. He taught me how to fly an airplane, how to dance, how to read music, and how I wanted to be loved by a husband. I learned that last one by watching him with my mom for 50 years.
He once told me there wasn't anything I could do that would make him not love me.
"Patty, you know, with that writing talent of yours, you could go a long way." That comment, along with his unflagging financial and moral support as I dragged an undergraduate degree out for six years, made me what I am today.
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