Saturday July 11, 2009. Jay, Grace and I are in Orlando,FL packing up and heading back to Michigan. As we are packing and cleaning out the hotel room of all our stuff, I had this feeling that I was forgetting something. What could it be? I checked the bathroom, the closet, the drawers, under the bed...everything....we had it all cleaned out. Yet, I still had that "I am forgetting something" feeling. We got on the plane...it was still there. I continued to ask Grace if she had everything...her books, her contacts, her games. She had it all! Yet....I was sure I was forgetting something.
Sunday July 12, 2009. Back home. We are unpacked and we seem to have everything we left with.....that feeling is still there. I cannot shake it! It is beginning to drive me nuts. I do as I always do and just put it out of my mind. We came home with everything. We did not forget a thing. So push it out of my mind. I did that successfully until late Sunday night....
Jay and I are watching one of our favorite TV shows, Eli Stone. Eli was talking to his father in a vision because his father is no longer alive. AHHHHHHHH! The tears began to flow....not Eli but Laura.....as Eli talked to his father I remembered what I forgot!
July 11 was the day my father passed away! That sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach was due to the fact that for 25 years I had not forgot that day and this year I had.
I was trying to decide if it was a good thing or a bad thing that I forgot? Life does go on and my dad would have wanted us to go on with life and enjoy it as he did. Yet I never want to forget the smile he had when he laughed or the way the man could sing!I have not forgotten those things about him and I have not forgotten him, and in many ways, I am very much like him. I think it is okay that I forgot July 11 on July 11.....I remembered on July 12th!
While I may not always remember the day my dad died, I will always remember my dad.
By the way, My dad is the one with the pipe and I am the smiley one!
