Life on the Road

This is the third in a series of “Photo Challenge” themes being posted as part of a contest over at Two Moms in a Blog (go check it out!).

Today’s theme is:

Saddest Moments

Wow, not your usual topic, eh?  The point, they say, is to remember that these moments were sad but that we did get through them.

The saddest time in my life so far was losing my father in January 2003.  (Yep, for those of you with a scorecard that’s just a year before the happiest moment.  Busy decade…)

I know lots of people never know their father, or lose him very young, so we were blessed to have had him at all.  But among our peer group (I was in my early 30’s, my sister still in her 20’s), most people still had (and in fact have) active and involved parents.  One of the comments I heard most from the caregivers when I was helping him through the last couple of years was, “But he’s so young!” (it started at age 59).

So anyhow, this photo is my sister delivering the eulogy at his memorial service.  It’s not the best photo, per se, but of all the photos of the service, this is the only one that really caught an emotion. 

To remember the happy times…  This is my sister again, with my son Nick and my dad, just two years earlier.  We had this enlarged and framed for the service.

I love you and miss you, Daddy.  But I know you are happier now, and at peace in the arms of Jesus…