Day 101

I am grateful for Kev's dad.

He was a grand man with a generous, noble heart. His favorite way of cooking was to take us all out to eat. We still talk about some of the places we went and how novel and out of the box they were.

One of the first things he asked after meeting him for the first time was if I could sing. I said, "In the shower," and he said, "Let's hear." I declined, saying, "No, thank you," and he asked again. I just laughed.

He was raised by a single mother after his dad passed away when he was little. He worked hard, played hard, built the home we still visit to this day, survived his first wife, and married my mother-in-law when she was 39. He loved his aunts, was fiercely proud of his family, and left us a legacy of appreciation for higher education, musical talent, and relentless love.

We saw signs of a mental decline a few years before he actually had dementia, and it was Betty's fall and hospitalization that seemed to hasten it and the need to be placed in full-time care. I cherish the week I spent with her at a time when Dad could no longer communicate. On my last day there, I leaned my head against his and told him all the things I loved I was grateful for and loved about him. Mom watched on with tears streaming silently down her sweet face. He passed away quietly on this day nine years ago, leaving our world a bit dimmer for all of Heaven's gain.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of Dad's life and godly influence on his family.