My dad would have been 92 last week. He was an amazing person… still is… in Heaven! But I have missed spending 38 Christmases with him.
I remember so many things about him at Christmas… trimming the tree we chose together while Mom was busy creating favorites holiday treats and filling the air with the aroma of Christmas, “helping” him put up the outside lights and standing in awe when it was all done as we watched each large, multi-colored light brighten the air with its individual beauty!
There are memories of Christmas caroling and musicals that he directed at the church we attended. He was so full of life and I felt he would fill every room he ever entered… forever!
But I also remember one sad Christmas… the one when I realized that this strong and handsome man was fragile and vulnerable and scared; the night I realized he wouldn’t be around forever….
This Christmas season, don’t take your loved ones for granted. Cherish them! Love them. TELL THEM you love them! Don’t let another moment be wasted with those that you think will always be in your life. One day, they will be a memory… just like my dad.
Especially at this time of the year, I find myself missing my dad ….