Today is March 8th, I cant believe that in 10 days it will be a year since I lost my dad. There are times I know I would have never gotten through all this with out the help of my amazing friends on here. People outside the internet world can understand how I can call people I never met and may never meet my friends.
I remember the day my dad died I texted on of my friends here to tell him and by the time I got home from my moms I had so many messages and comments I was overwhelmed.
I found out how many friends I really did have on here. Around the holidays I started that support group and met so many of you who have also lost parents and many of you told me the 1st year is the hardest but it will get easier and I hope you are right because I am living with the same heartache now I had a year ago as I watched my father die.
I do know that this all has made me a stronger person I never really knew how strong til I stood next to my dads casket reading the eulogy that I wrote and made it through only getting a little choked up at the ending.
My dad had so many people that cared about him and we saw that at the funeral home with the endless people coming in and out. He was 68 when he died and he was fortunate to retire at 55 and 13 years later people came in one after the other telling us they worked with him for years, one guy even told us not all his crews liked him but they all respected him. I think my favorite story was from a guy who said he cant tell us how many times he was sent home from work in a monday for being hung over and losing a days pay but my dad would call him in or a saturday to make up the time because he has a family to support. He also told us when he finally admitted he had a drinking problem, my dad went with him to his first few meetings for support.
I know I am the person I am today because of the incredible parents that raised me. I try to make my dad proud by always being there to help a friend weather it is a real life friend or an internet friend.
I am so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life and if you are taking the time to read this then I consider you one of them.
The next few weeks are going to be tough for me so please be patient with me
Kathleen
