By Denise Fritz
Today makes 5 yrs from my Dad's passing....I know he's in with our Father.
THIS may get long and I'm not apologizing if it does, but I CHOOSE not to Grieve today, instead I choose to remember things I've learned from him. He taught me so much in this walk in life.
WORK Ethics from a young age, pumping gas,⛽ working at our store Frank & Allen's! Cleaning trailers in our trailer park, cutting pickets, building fences, piers,🔨 pallets and so much more. Learning to drive...a push mower, 🤣 finally a riding mower,🚜 then the truck (stick shift without power steering) only then, a car.🚗 I was fortunate that he provided a vehicle for me. When he told me he was buying a car, I thought wow, a new car! To my surprise I got a brand new... that is new to me, a '66 Catalina in '77. At first I hated it, 🤔 it took me on many rides to school, all my ball games & practices, college, and jobs. Soon there were many adventures in this car because you could fit
about 8 teenagers in it comfortably!😁 I think this was a time I truly realized his sense of humor!! Mike & Eddie can attest to this...in this car I once ran out of gas ⛽ which was
MISTAKE #1....When your dad owned 2 stations, one of which was within a mile of your home and the other within a mile of school😱!!
In teaching me this lesson in life, he thought it might be a good idea to ride the bus again for several days. This is when Mike & Eddie decided to help me out! While trying to put gas in the car it just wouldn't get to the motor due to the incline, a little gas ⛽ on
the carburetor might help.
Well old cars had fiberglass insulated hoods and a little fire🔥ensued promptly burning any of the rubber hoses and who knows what else except for Mr. German!!
MISTAKE #2, Again... don't run out of gas and the let your friend and boyfriend try to help you out! I think Eddie is still traumatized, but he never said a word to either of them. Following this incident my dad never raised his voice about the whole ordeal (which was sort of scary I thought) and I wake up with a cartoon taped to my door and at the very end it shows a guy tinkering on his car and everything in flames🔥!!
🤣HUMOR was a BIG Thing in my dad's life, this was just one in particular for me I guess, because by then I was the last kid at home. Most anyone that knew my dad had a funny story regarding his humor. One of his many good traits.
Deciding he needed a new vehicle, into the dealership he goes after working outside, in the heat of summer in his t-shirt, tattered blue jean shorts and probably no shoes. All the men thinking, he can't possibly buy what he was looking at, sending out a young lady fairly new to selling cars.....BIG mistake for them!!! BIG commission for the young lady!😃
DADDY was a GENEROUS man and sometimes to a fault, but he tried to trust people. After all a hand-shake is good as a contract as far as he was concerned. But I can't tell you how many people from school that worked in our backyard, whether it was sawing, hammering, or hauling in some form or fashion of a job. Or even living with us from time to time, family or not.
HE NEVER Met a STRANGER, something I know for sure I inherited from him. Some may think this isn't necessarily a good thing, but I've found in my life it truly has been. After Mike joining the Air Force, with our moving around, meeting new people, making new friends, working as a nurse, it sure came in handy! I could go on, and on, and on, and I have.
SICKNESS!! Unfortunately it happens and Daddy had a long time of it starting in ’91. We came close to losing him several times before it he finally passed on. We all want our parents alive, here with us, but we also don't want to see them suffering. Daddy was miserable not being able to get outside and just work, walk around, go, live untethered but breathing wasn't easy. He'd head out sit in the chair and watch as would delegate what and how to do what he no longer could. He did love to delegate and he did a lot!
I think for me, having been a nurse, I get it. I'm not saying it was easy for me to watch him deteriorate but I understood it. I stayed with him those last minutes before his passing.
IT'S not easy watching others perform CPR on your on your dad, but I did, I ty watched furiously, 3 times, as he fought a valiant battle of wanting to stay on this Earth just a little longer.
I'M thankful I was there,
I'M THANKFUL it took my mom a little longer to arrive, because she didn't want to have to say to the Dr....no more and let the love of her life go.💕
AS I reflect, I Learned so much from him. Trust, love, discipline (we won't go there😉), kindness, humility, generosity, humor, honor, and I could keep going but
THE MOST IMPORTANT thing though is LOVE!
The love of my dad, but more importantly the love of Our Heavenly Father.... for this I am eternally grateful to him and my mom!!!
Today I CHOOSE NOT to
Grieve...
Love you Dad!💕
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