I also find that it is so therapeutic being that it 'cleanses my mind' from all stuff that happened during the week. This week, in particular, was a rough one. There are the fires, all the evacuations going on, the people returning to what was their home, a few returning to find a loved one just didn't make it out in time. One tends to take things for granted sometimes. Like the key that opens your front door. Now there are literally thousands that don't have that front door to open. Like that old rag that your loved one wears that you wish one day would burn. Now there are hundreds who wish they even had an old rag to put on while sifting through the remains of once was their closet. Little things, everyday things, things that one tends to take for granted, lost. My heart goes out to them.
The other night, I make Duane drag out the boxes of pictures...and start to go through them. I look at them differently now. Even the ones that bring up bad memories. I look for the good things connected with those pictures. It's all that we have of our past....memories, and pictures for the most part. I hold one picture in particular. One of my mom, my dad, and my middle sister, Vicki. It's her senior prom. Tears run down my face as I sit there and listen to them discuss what time she should be home that night with her date. I pick up another one of Vicki, and this one is like 20 years later. She's sitting on her motorcycle (actually a '69 Meter Maid, totally refurbished) with her first grandson as an infant. Little did I know that a year later she would not be with us anymore. I pick up a funny one of my mom playing Nitendo, two years later, she also would be gone.
This one of my dad is the most precious one of all to me.
Journaling says: This happens to be the last picture of my dad before he passed away 2 days later. The starfish is the last thing that my dad ever caught. I have the actual starfish, which sits in a huge brandy snifter full of sand from
Hawaii. As we fished, we spoke about his recent heart attack, the past, the future, which he knew wasn't going to be a long one for him. Then I looked up at him, and asked him, "Dad, do you believe in Jesus"? He smiled and said yes, and started to tell me about his religious beliefs and stuff. It was an AWESOME conversation. For the first time, I got to pray with my Dad. We finished praying, and he looked at me, and told me that he had a great day, and that this would probably be the last time fishing for him. I didn't question that statement, and I just let it be. He was right...it was. Little did I know, it was the last time I was to see him alive.
I miss my dad...so very much
Happy Father's Day, Dad...I love you!!
People tend to take things for granted. Once you have lost something...you can't ever get it back. So during our crop tonight, I need to finish up on the layouts that I have started, the albums that need to be finished, because I need to start a whole new batch of layouts. My Family, Our Times Together.
Life is short. so cherish what you have now...for you never know.
3 comments:
Carol, I loved your journal entry. It is so cool that you got to discuss your Dad's religious beliefs before he died. That wonderful peace of mind is a gift from God.
And I think you did a good job of conveying your feelings to the reader.
What a wonderful post Catol. That Journal entryt must be even more precious to you now....Just as all the pictures and I assume, other Journal entrey's are too..What you say is so very true....Treasure all you have in terms of all your loved ones, right now.....One never knows when you might not get the chance to treasure them anymore, in life.
Carol,
Just wanted to let you know that I have this picture too, I like the layout you did it is very nice. I tend to go through my pictures often and have the same memories.
Love Mary Jane
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