sharyn Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Today was Daddy's funeral... It was so hard... so real now. I wanted to share with you the words I spoke at the mass... I wrote the majority of this from his hospital room. I honestly don't know how I was able to read it without falling apart, I believe he held me up so I could do this.... I will be in touch my friends... you are all in my prayers daily. Love, Sharon As I sit here with my Dad next to me, I am struggling as he is struggling. Daddy struggling to draw breath and I struggling with the thought of him leaving us. I like to think I still have control over his well-being as I have always watched over his care for the past four years, although, in the harsh world of reality, I know I relinquished my control into Gods hands weeks ago. We wait…. We watch…. And Mom, God bless her, is so very strong. She sits by his bed and strokes his hair, holds his hands and stares at his face as if she is trying so hard to memorize every line and crease. The love between them is unshakeable, the dedication immense. He is her world, he is my Daddy. Never ever will I forget the love he has given to me throughout the years. He was the strong one, the one who could always make me feel better when I thought things were at their worst, he would always make me see that we must appreciate the good and then the bad won’t seem so ominous. When Daddy was diagnosed with cancer almost 4 years ago, we were devastated – Daddy in his usual casual way simply replied “ There is nothing wrong with me, these doctors are nuts!!” And I think he firmly believed that! He went to all his Chemo treatments and did what was expected of him without one single complaint. He continued to live his life to the fullest. He and Mom traveled, they loved their little escapes. Daddy golfed and was always a willing partner in Moms shopping trips. They were never far from each others side. They are still not far from each other. There were only a few things that Daddy placed a high priority on. The first being his belief in God, he was a devout Christian and never quite believed in any of the man-made rules of the church. Daddy believed in God’s word and that was it, plain and simple. We had many debates on religion through the years – I always lost. One of the last things he said to me was “ When I get to heaven, I have an awful lot of questions to ask God”. Somehow I know God will probably lose that debate too!! The second priority was his family. Daddy always said, as long as I have my family, I am the richest man in the world. Daddy was a millionaire, because he had his family, heart and soul. Daddy had a remarkable circle of friends he cherished throughout his lifetime. Some he knew briefly, others were with him for many years. Daddy was a great reader of peoples characters. He could tell you within a few minutes of meeting someone if they were genuine. If you were fortunate enough to be his friend, I don’t need to explain his love for you. I thank each of you for the gift of friendship you gave my Daddy. There is so much more I want to say, so many unbelievable memories. We laughed, we cried and we cherished our time together and for this I am eternally grateful. I am not saying goodbye to my Daddy, I do not believe he is ever very far from us. He promised us he would somehow let us know he was around, if anyone can do this, I do believe it is him. I wrote this two days before Daddy passed away. Since then, he has sent the signs that he promised he would – I never doubted him for a minute. For as he did in life, Daddy would never let me down. In closing, I would like to share with you a poem that Daddy held dear to his heart for the past four years. Cancer is so limited It cannot cripple love It cannot shatter hope It cannot corrode faith It cannot destroy peace It cannot kill true friendship It cannot suppress memories It cannot silence courage It cannot invade the soul It cannot conquer the spirit And it cannot EVER steal eternal life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gail p-m Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 What a beautiful tribute to your Dad. Your mutual love shined through in each and every word. You were blessed to have your Dad and he to have you. My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family during this very difficult time. Gail P-M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kitkathi Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 The words you wrote were so lovely. I know your daddy is proud. kitkathi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Sharyn, My heart and prayers are with you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiny Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Sharon- Thanks for sharing the CELEBRATION of your father's time on earth. Thinking of you at this difficult time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nushka Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Beautiful tribute Sharyn. I know your Dad was proud of you. Nina Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy P Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Sharon - That was truly beautiful. Your love for your Daddy shined through loud and clear. Thank you for sharing. May you and your family find peace and love through the holidays. Much Love, Amy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAnn Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Sharyn, Your words were beautiful. I know how hard that must have been for you. I know your daddy is proud of you. You have my deepest sympathy. TAnn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindi o'h Posted December 19, 2004 Share Posted December 19, 2004 Dear Sharyn, What a beautiful message of love and courage to your Dad's family and friends. Your relationship with your Dad is how all little girls need to be loved and how Dad's need to be loved back. I am so sorry for the loss of his physical presence. I know that his love in your heart will live on forever. With sympathy, Cindi o'h Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babesdaughter Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 Sharyn....those were beautiful, heartfelt words. Your Dad was smiling down on you, I'm sure of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrea B. Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 What a beautiful and loving tribute to your father. He is proud of you. My heart goes out to you during this difficult time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SDianneB Posted December 20, 2004 Share Posted December 20, 2004 That's amazing. What a reward to have had this man for your father, and he to have you as a daughter. Take care as you go through this difficult time. Di Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeckyCW Posted December 23, 2004 Share Posted December 23, 2004 Sharon, I haven't been on the computer much this last week, and just now read this. Your tribute to your father is just beautiful, and I'm glad you shared it with us. It sounds like he led a loving and remarkable life, and raised a loving and remarkable family. My thoughts and prayers are with you in this difficult time. BeckyCW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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