GOODBYE MY FRIEND

God saw you getting tired

and a cure was not to be,
so he put his arms around you,
and whispered "Come to me".
With tearful eyes we watched you,
and saw you pass away.
Although we loved you dearly,
we could not make you stay.
A golden heart stopped beating,
hard working hands at rest,
God broke our hearts to prove to us
He only takes the best

Two years ago today, my father left his family on this earth
to go home and be with his Mother, Father and Brother.
I truly hope he is happy up in heaven.
For almost ten long years, my father courageously
battled heart disease,
four strokes and a heart attack.
He always had a positive attitude
about his condition and was always saying
"I'm alright"
even when we knew he wasn't.
Maybe it was his fighting spirit,
his wishful thinking, or his compromised
mental capacity that the heart disease robbed
him of...or maybe it was combination of all three things.
Nevertheless, he maintained a positive outlook
and never felt sorry for himself.
I am so proud of the role model he was for me,
my family and my daughter
while dealing with his condition.

My parents were married for 52 years.
Some of the time was a struggle but most was
spent happily raising their three daughters.
I loved my childhood growing up.
I am truly blessed to have had two wonderful,
loving and giving parents.
They taught me to value education &
have a strong set of morals and values.
They ingrained in me a strong work ethic
and the power of belief in myself.
Thank you Mom and Dad
from the bottom of my heart!
I LOVE YOU, Dad up in heaven
and Mom, here on this earth.
My father was a bright man, an Engineer with a Type A Personality- a quality not so great on the heart!!
He had an Artistic talent that he passed on to me,
as well as my daughter.
Thanks again, Dad!!
Growing up during the Great Depression
with Polish immigrant parents,
my father always found a way to be resourceful.
His bright mind and creative soul were always
collaborating imaginative solutions to take
next to nothing and make it into something.
I have some vivid memories of interesting things
he would do that earned him the title of
"Character" at times.
My sisters and I have reminisced over things he made,
like his extra large homemade rubber bands
from cut up tire inner tubes,
or the large garden funnels
and scoops he made from recycled Clorox bottles.
There was always the scrubbie made from the
plastic mesh that came wrapped around the turkey
(Thanksgiving will never be the same).
It served as the wrapping for all the last bits
of bars of soap fused together:)
Voila...scrubbie
He went green long before it was in vogue to be "GREEN". His mind was always thinking up ways to be clever.
Clever was one of his favorite words.
His color coded yard sale maps were yet another of his "clever collaborations".
Mind you this was all at least 25 to 30 years ago!!
He loved his "Cellar" and his garden.
They were his places to tinker and fix things.
My Dad strikingly resembled Bob Hope
in his early years, but more so in his older years.
Don't you think???
My father couldn't wait to be a grandparent.
When his first grandchild, my daughter,
was born he spent any time he could with her.
I am so grateful they were able to spend time together
getting to know each other before his
heart condition took a toll on him.
The happy times they spent together
are some of my daughter's most
cherished memories...

...and mine too!

This is one of the earlier pictures
of my father and me together.
Here he is holding and nurturing me.

Ironically,
this is the last picture taken of my father and me.
Here I am holding and nurturing him.

Isn't life funny????

You can click here to see the news story that was
done about my daughter.
This is how she remembers and honors her
grandfather

Thanks friends, for listening to me ramble on
and reminisce about my father.
He was such an honorable, hardworking and
smart man who we all laughed with.
It's so nice to have kindred souls who are willing
to lend an ear and listen.
Thanks for letting me tell you a little about
the man I called
"DAD"
I was so happy and blessed to have him in my life.
I have to tell you, I'm so happy and blessed
to have you in my life too!!