R.I.P. Dad…
This past two weeks have been rough….. very rough….
You see, my father died last Thursday. The man that made it possible for me to even be here today is gone from this world. About 18 months ago he had a major heart surgery where they reshaped his heart, and it bought him more time. But that’s not the beginning…
My father worked 35 years for the Social Security Administration. Long 60-80 hour weeks, plus all the boards and volunteer organisations he was involved in. He really didn’t have a lot of time for his family, but he did his best to make sure we knew were loved. After he retired from SSA, he was the regional manager, and continued working for a private company as a medical advicate helping people get Government benefits. He knew his work, and he was well known for it.
Here’s where the tides get rough. Over the many years, dad had neglected his health. This caused many problems, including a huge strain on his heart and the development of diabetes. Not only was this due to work, but the constant over-eating and his weight, and little activity. He had put a tremendous amount of extra stress on his body by failing to take care of himself. This lead to a stent being put in to open blocked arteries, and an inevitable surgery where his heart was reshaped to work better.
The surgery bought him 18 months. In that time he got to see his great grand-daughters born, and made an attempt to go back to work, but failed. I always said he’d never be happy unless he was working. He officially made his final retirement in November, one month before his death.
Even in his death, he taught me some things that are the most important. I now know that taking proper care of yourself is a must. I also learned that life is too short to be miserable. At the same time, he taught me to do my best and push myself, although I think I’ll leave the self-distruction part out. All and all, I’ve learned some very important lessons.
R.I.P. dad, 1937 - 2005. Until we meet again in the next life old man, I will miss ya.
Discussion Area - Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.