A tribute to my Dad -- 4/3/1951 - 5/21/2010

I got a phone call from my Mom yesterday evening around 9:00 pm. It was to let me know that my Dad had passed away 2 hours earlier.
Death! what is death? Now that I am an adult, it's harder to bear the loss of loved ones. You realize better that that's the end and you won't see them again in this life. I have lost a real relationship with my Dad since my early teen. However, we kept in touch through visits and phone calls. I still remember the early years of my life when my parents were still together. Being the only girl, I was the closest to him and he was always very proud of me. People always say that I look like my Dad and he liked that.
Although my parents' relationship hasn't always been the greatest, my Mom has taught us for many years that our Dad is how we came to be. She would say, "he is how we found the sun". That stayed in me and my brothers. In our heart, he is how we found the sun.
There was a gap of many years in our relationship, but I will always keep the good memories from my childhood. I give him credit for teaching me the importance of hard work since I was little. He taught us to give more than 100% in what we do. I took this with me till this day. This principle has helped me succeed in life and feel good about myself. I was doing yard work yesterday and thought about the many times when I was just a little girl pulling weeds in the yard with my Dad and my brothers.
I am sad that I never got to say good-bye, at least we did spend time together on my visit home in December. I'll miss him tons, but I know we will see each other again.