Moments with Dad

I am the youngest of three children, a "late in life" kid. When I was 13 my sister went to college and I was left as an only child. My mother went to work as the night auditor of a resort. I was my dad's fishing buddy and to get me out of the house, so mom could sleep during the day, dad and I would go fishing.

That first summer we found a perch spawning bed. Dad and I would get up early and head to the lake. We would put in at Cape Fair and I would ski to our fishing hole. In the early morning there was usually fog still sitting on the water which was as smooth as glass. We would fish all day. We filled a freezer with fish that summer! In the evening, mom, dad and I would eat dinner then mom would go to work. Dad and I would sit at the kitchen table and talk. Actually, he would tell stories and I would listen, for hours! We'd sit there so long, that we would get hungry for a snack. Dad always had sardines with saltine crackers. YUK! My dad was a genius and a bit of a jokester so he was always fascinating to listen too. Plus he lived an amazing life (I'll write more about that in another post).

The day I was traveling to the hospital was touch and go. I talked to my brother while I was at the Phoenix airport. He said that they had turned off the defibulator and had him on a med that regulated his heart. They were planning on taking him off of it when I got there. Basically, they were trying to medically help him hang on until I could get there. I arrived and everyone was weeping around his bedside. He heard me come in and said, "There’s Paula, we've been waiting for you." He held out his hand and I went to take it. We all circled the bed and thought it was his last moments. He looked at all of us tenderly and said, "You're a funny lookin' bunch!" My sister said, "Well, we're your genetics." Which made dad laugh, "suppose so", he said. The in-laws in the room quickly piped in, "not us!" The tears had turned to laughter.

They took dad off the med and his heart regulated itself. The doctors were a little stumped as to why but attributed it to the fact that the rest of his body was so healthy. He was a little restless Thursday night and had a bout of his heart going a little wonkers. We thought, "This is it" and his heart regulated itself again. Dad slept most of Friday.

Friday evening, my brother's wife Cheryl, brought Smokin' Bob's Barbeque (my brother's business) in for dinner. It was a mini family reunion. Dad had some ham and was visiting with everyone. Later in the evening local people went home. Those who stayed bedded down on various cots and couches.

I sat with Dad. He had switched his night and day. He wasn't uncomfortable, just awake. We sat and talked or I should say he talked and I listened. I said, "This reminds me of that summer when we would sit and talk in the kitchen." He said, "ya, just you and I" We reminisced about that summer, skiing and fishing. He tried to tell me how to get to that fishing hole. Finally, he gave up and said, "I can take you right to it but I can't tell you how to get there." I told him that I still haven't ever eaten sardines. I actually love the smell because it reminds me of dad but I can't bring myself to eat them. He said, "They’re not really that good and the aluminum from the cans leaches into the fish and is bad for you."

I can't really remember the last time dad and I sat and talked into the night like that. It's was probably the summer before I got married (1983). Medically, he shouldn't have been so wide awake and talkative. I chose to believe that God gave me one more night of listening to my Daddy. I will always treasure those hours. What a difference a day, a few hours or even a moment can make!

I'm living on the eighth day, right now!