I miss my dad

My dad has been dead for 6 years now and I still miss him everyday. I am a grown man with a family of my own and I feel like a child sometimes when I think of my dad. I cannot imagine my children looking at me with the same reverance as I did my dad. I wonder if I look bigger than life to them as my dad always did to me.
When dad died he had 2 grandsons (my brother and I both had 1 son each). Now he has 5 grandsons. I bet he would have been one proud grandpa with 5 little boys running along behind him. He was so proud of the 2 grandsons that he had that he would show their pictures to everyone he met. He bought both of them lifetime hunting licenses when they were born. Mom said that he had a lot of plans for the grandchildren before he died.
I often wonder if he would be proud of me now. Have I lived and conducted myself the way he raised me to. Have I done enough so far in my life to make him proud of me? I wonder what advice he would give me now. I wished I had written everything down that he ever told me. I wish I had a folder with all the advise he gave me over the years.
I cannot see myself ever being the man he was.
I know where he is right now and one day I will see him again. And when I do I am going to give him the biggest hug ever. I am going to see my dad again one day but it hurts not seeing him now.
When I visit his grave I talk to him. I do not talk to the body in the groud, I lift my eyes to heaven where his soul is and I hope that he hears me. I hope that he knows how much I love him and I hope he knows that he did a good job raising me.
Heres to you dad. Thank you for being the father you were to me and thank you for sacraficing so much for your family. You are my hero and I love you.

You're fortunate to have such wonderful memories of your Dad. Not everyone is so lucky.

Lightmeup said:

You're fortunate to have such wonderful memories of your Dad. Not everyone is so lucky.

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That is very true. My wifes dad died when she was only 3.

I'm sure your Dad is looking down on you every day...Jeff....

In the future.....don't know when....don't know how....you'll meet up with him again......

Take care of yourself and your family....

He is still alive inside of you, since my father passed away now I am no longer in fear of death, cause I will join him in the afterlife, he as my hero and me as that happy little boy.

Hi Life,

My father passed a little short of 2 years ago. I at least got to visit him a few hours before his time came. When I think back of the problems I got into as a kid, and his saving my a**, I still get teary! My father was an engineer and pioneer in advanced composite materials. He was part of a team at Wright-Patterson AFB that flew the first structural composite aircraft part in the '40's. (I think it was a fiberglass/polyester tail control component- think Corvette body.) Today they have almost all composite aircraft, like the Beechcraft Starship. I wouldn't be building flashlights if not for his influence. It was actually a little hard to absorb that I was on my own when he passed, and I'm 57! And that was after taking care of him for the previous couple years. Unlike you, I have no children to remember me.

Keep up the good fight!

Larry

The feeling never goes away. My father passed away 20 years ago, I was 21 at the time, he was only 51. I can't say that I think about him every day but I probably think about him every week. Seeing this thread made me remember what a great man he was. I think I will go have a little cry,not a bad thing.

I guess those who still have both parents alive such as I (although both in precarious health) should feel very lucky indeed. I am going up to visit them next weekend, my mom will not be with us for long.

My dad passed away in Oct 1999. So its been about 6 years for me to. Its hard for me to phathom that whole era has passed. I had a great childhood thanks to my dad.

There's an excellent bluegrass song called "Gone But Not Forgotten". It was most recently recorded by the Del McCoury Band a few years ago. The music is upbeat but the lyrics are more melancholy. I always liked this song but since I've become a father I get a little sniffly near the end.


Whistle
Midnight, screamin', cross the squeakin' trestle
Lonesome whistle

Hobo
Tin cup, drink up, bed roll, good Ole Hobo
Where did they all go?
They're gone
But not forgotten

The wheels of time just keep on movin' on
Too many things we love too soon are gone
But not forgotten

Cowboys
Ridin', ropin', real cowpokin' cowboys
Where are you now boys?

Heroes
Good guys, white hats, fist fights, take that heroes
It's hard to find those
They're gone
But not forgotten

Daddy
Strong back, rough hands, soft heart, good man, Daddy
I miss you Daddy
They're gone
But not forgotten

The wheels of time just keep on movin' on
Too many things we love too soon are gone
But not forgotten

My dad didn't die, but his mind did when he had a massive stroke back in 2001. A large part of me died with him at 6pm, March 01, 2001.
:mecry:

Good song!

Dads favorite song before he died was "Time Marches On" by Tracy Lawrence.
I have not heard it for a while, dont really listen to music much these days, but everytime I do it really gets to me.
Dad would always make me listen to it if I was in the car with him. He would turn up the radio when it came on and say "I really like this song, now listen, listen to the words." No matter how many times I had heard it he would act like I had never heard it before.

I have a hard time reading this thread. I can only imagine the sense of loss but I also smile at the keen sense of pride yall have for Dad.

It's with fear I think of the not to distant day when I'll lose my own Dad. I try and call him every day. Sometimes it's for 30 seconds and sometimes 15 minutes. Over the past 2 years I have considered it a real possibility that one day the call will go unanswered.

Here's to the Dad's both living and gone that gave a damn about their kids. Here's to those of us that aspire to one day be all that our Dad was to us.

DieselDave said:

Here's to the Dad's both living and gone that gave a damn about their kids. Here's to those of us that aspire to one day be all that our Dad was to us.

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AMEN!

Amen to that

My father died four years ago when he was only 67. We got along very well, although he was sometimes a little ornery. I'm glad to have the memories I do and I only wish there could have been more. I also wish I could have recorded his life stories in some way. He was a teenager out west and grew up with the stars of the time, his father being a Hollywood musician, then he joined the navy and worked with experimental aircraft, then to Boeing in Seattle, then to the Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, then here to MA for GE, Ratheon, and a host of other companies. Quite the prolific engineer.

My memory is terrible and now that he's gone it's hard to recall it all. If anyone values this kind of thing I'd suggest to start writing or taping things down before it's too late.

"Dance with my father again. . ."—Luthor Vandross

My friend's father and mother died more than 12 years ago, and sometimes he tells me that when he hears a funny joke at his work or from his wife or daughter, he says: "I'm going to tell my dad about that one!" Then he catches himself and what he just said. . .

My Dad passed when he was 53 years old in 1983. There are so many things I wish we could have talked about and things we could have done together. I joined the Air Force when I was 21 - so I was 28 when he passed...Sure wish I had these last 23 years with him here, healthy of course - cancer had him in bad shape at the end. I'm glad he didn't have to suffer these past 23 years though.

He knew I loved him. My first son was born in 1986, second in 1989 - I wish he could have known them here on this earth.

Wow, I can't even type this note...too emotional at the moment. GREAT THREAD - THANKS FOR POSTING IT!!

It's too late here in Alaska right now, but I'm going to call my Mother in the morning. If anyone's parents are alive, call them and or do something special for them! Hey, just tell them you love them!

:thumbsup:

lifenra, regarding your question if your dad would have been proud of you. i strongly believe that as long as you live an honest life and don't get involved in criminal and unethical stuff, he would have been darn proud of you. as a dad, i am sure that you want your children to be upright and honest. take care.

I think about my Father almost every day. he suffered a terrible stroke in 1995 that took his great personality away. I visited him in the nursing home several times a week, realizing that he didn't know who I was anymore. I finally lost him on Jan. 5, 2000.

It was hurtful to see such a strapping physical man reduced to sitting in a special chair all day long. Strong as a bull and smart as a whip, he singlehandedly built the house (except for the plumbing and electrical) that I am living in right now. I think that's where I got my "work ethic".

I remember two things about my father....how he worked his @ss off his whole life, and his easy ability to laugh-even at some of my jokes.

Late at night if I listen carefully I think I can still hear him laughing...