To my father

Day 38

"That was when the world wasn't so big and I could see everywhere. It was when my father was a hero and not a human." Markus Zusak

78 years ago today, Pleas & Ola B, brought their third son into the world, my father. Born in the depths of Alabama, a country boy always in his heart, he lays there to rest eternally From stories he told and with my own thoughts, I often wonder who he was as a little boy. What did he dream of? Who did he first love? Where did he expect his life to go? There's something sobering about imagining your parents before they were parents. It reminds me that he was an individual, with many facets, and as his child I was just one part

He taught me to appreciate and love family deeply. To be proud of my roots. He showed me how a person can light up a room, and unfortunately sometimes dim it. He filled my heart at times, and broke it at others. He showed me that life is not one dimensional, and though sometimes we may never know it all, we end up knowing what we need to.

I sometimes wonder if anyone will ever look at me quite the way he did, and then I realize receiving that unique sparkle in his eyes was a gift that cannot and does not need to be replaced. My father is the gift that keeps on giving. He gave me stories, charm, family, forgiveness, laughter, and tight hugs. He gave these gifts to others who then remind me of the light he was. And while he is not in the physical world, he continues to give me love. There are some connections that will always transcend any idea of space and time that we have, and ours is one.

Though tears do flow from time to time, I am grateful tor his light that shines through me, and the never ending love that radiates through me.

Love...Always...