Remembering Dad

Dad’s been gone a year today. All at once the pain feels fresh – the heartache hits when I’m caught off guard – but it’s also hardened. I can talk about him without sorrow settling over my mind.

What’s helped with all the grief and hurting is the fact that we have his photo legacy to remind us of his talent, tenacity, and tender heart. I am constantly in awe of him as we keep finding new images on thumb drives and SD cards hidden in boxes and drawers. Part of me of course wishes that we’d done more with his work when he was here to enjoy it. But I know he sees what we’re up to and is tickled with all the attention.

The anniversary drew me back to the eulogy I wrote for him and I’d like to share a bit of it to remind me of the good times and all the laughter.

“If you know my dad, you know he appreciated an attractive lady. And when my dad saw said ladies, he would say “Hubba Hubba!”

So of course, this backfired on him pretty spectacularly when I was about four and we were on vacation in Florida. We were riding in my dad’s convertible down A-1-A in Miami, right along the busy beachfront, when a beautiful woman in a teeny bikini decided to cross the street, bringing traffic to a screeching halt. So that seemed like the absolute perfect time for me to stand up in the backseat, point, and yell at the top of my lungs, “There’s a Hubba Hubba Daddy!”

The woman turned and stared at me, along with everyone else on the beach, as my dad slunk slowly down in his seat, face bright red, hiding behind the steering wheel. I believe my mom sat next to him with a big satisfied smirk on her face while I was waving Hi to the lady. We never let him live that one down”