Today has been a day of sorrow for myself, as well as for my mom and sister. It’s the first Father’s Day without my dad. I feel like while everyone else is giving their dads presents and going out to dinner at Red Lobster, we’re trapped within our misery, taking time to drive out to the veteran’s cemetery in Holly and leaving flowers on dad’s grave. God, I miss him… Father’s Day now just blends in with the rest of the days of the year. The worst part is going to a store like Target or anywhere else and seeing all these displays with stuff you can get your dad, or seeing something in the store that he really would’ve loved (like an atomic clock that also tells the inside and outside temps at Costco, lol) because my first thought is still, “Dad’s gonna love this!” or “I’ve gotta call Dad!”
My dad was one of the most pleasant men you could ever meet. He never had a harsh word to say to anyone. He drove a school bus for Walled Lake schools and the kids loved him. He had a deep voice that could be described by some as intimidating, and a large 6′4″ frame to accompany said voice. But he was a big teddy bear, extremely easy-going, and always willing to lend a hand to anyone needing help. All our neighbors loved him for this, as he grew up on a farm and could tell anyone when to plant your bulbs, or would help you out with installing an electric fence for your dog. Basically anything you needed, he would be there. He also had a golden sense of humor. I remember one time we were on family vacation in North Carolina I was about 6, and a tornado was spotted in the area. All the radio stations were telling listeners to “take cover”, so when we arrived back at our hotel room 30 minutes later after the danger had passed, my dad took my sister and i, told us we needed to take cover, and crawled in bed and hid under the covers and took a nap. That was the kind of guy he was, gentle as the day is long and always there to lighten the mood. I miss ya, Dad…
