About my dad

I often write in here about my mom because she was probably the biggest influence in my life (sometimes in a good way and sometimes in a not-so-good way).  But I don’t often write about my dad.  He died when I was 15 but I carry so much of his energy in me that I almost feel like he’s hanging out all the time.

My dad really asked for a lot of physical challenges in this incarnation and he got them.  Diabetes at 2 years old, blind at 32 (from diabetes),  had both legs amputated at 43 and died from diabetic complications at 47.  Can you even imagine it? I can’t and I lived through much of the harshest stuff with him.  He maintained his humor through all of it and he told my mom that he didn’t really feel handicapped until he lost his legs.  Being blind was no big deal to him at all – he rode buses and got around fine.  And the thing is – this was all back in the day when preferential treatment for handicapped individuals didn’t even exist.  My mom had to fight to get a special parking space because of his wheelchair.

I was a daddy’s girl through and through.  We met on the intellectual plane and his love for reading (even after he went blind, he got books on record or tape), his deep spirituality, his wish to be of service to others – so many ways that I’ve carried his work forward into my life. He was always questioning things – he even called Madalyn Murray O’Hair to discuss her views on taking prayer out of school.  I can’t recall if he reached her or not but I DO remember him making the call.  I’m pretty sure my strong “What’s that about?” gene is his.

Whenever I’ve visited mediums, he comes to visit (although everyone who shows up is muscled out by my Grandmother!) and it’s always nice to “hear” from him.  I have a feeling we’ve been together in other lifetimes and will probably be together in more.

Miss you, Daddy.