I Still Miss My Dad

Today is the anniversary of my father's death.  He died in 1982.   I am older now than he was when he died. This day used to be quite horrible for me to get through.  And then one day i decided to change that.

I decided it would be a great day.  A day to celebrate.  I began by quitting smoking on this day in 1991.  And now each year, i do something on this day to celebrate the day and my father.

Today i helped my mother put up the Christmas ornaments on our outside trees.  They are so lovely - they always make me smile.

Sometimes we need to step back and look at our life from a different direction.  A different perspective.  And see that things can be different.  Believe they will be different.  Visualize a difference.  And make them different.

I still miss my dad.  Some days it doesn't take much to make me tear up when i think of him.  But i don't dread the day of his death anymore.  I actually look forward to coming up with something to honor him by or with.  And every time i make or eat a devil's food cake with chocolate icing - i think of him and how we'd enjoy a slice together. 

And over the next few weeks - each time i go outside and see the ornaments hanging in the trees, i'll think of him and smile.