Thank you, friends. I had a somewhat happy birthday but there was a twinge of sadness connected to this holiday season, as well as my birthday.
My dad passed away on November 30th. Seems the colon cancer surgery he underwent on November 12th presented him with too many complications and after a valiant effort on his part to recover, he breathed his last on November 30, at 6:45pm. I had the honor of holding his hand throughout that day and was holding his hand when he died. Earlier in the day, we even talked for a while and he told us (my family and a few friends) that he loved us all. He went back to sleep and basically never regained consciousness. I never thought I'd say this, but his death was very beautiful, and I am grateful to have been there with him. I'll sure miss him but I feel he is with me in spirit.
So, to make a long story longer, my dad died on November 30th... my mom and dad's 52nd Wedding Anniversary would have been December 3rd... and my birthday, as well as Christmas Day, was on December 25th.
I didn't want to post a thread about my dad's passing because I really didn't feel up to it at the time, but now is as good a time as any to let you, my friends, know about this. That's the main reason why I've been away from TMF for a while, too. So, yes, this has been a very hard Holiday season for me and my family.
My Dad (age 19), circa 1952, a new member of the United States Air Force
Me, my Dad and my brother in what would turn out to be one of the last photos taken of my dad. We were standing outside the hospital on November 12, 2007, just an hour before dad was to have surgery. He would never leave the hospital alive, passing away on November 30, 2007.