Many of the posts here have touched me deeply. In fact, I cry as I write this, unable to control my sense of loss. My post is not a message to my father, who died in his sleep two days after my 38th birthday on October 16, 2001, but rather a plea to others out there who may be suffering from the same physical and emotional pain as I am currently. My father was 82, and I was his only child...his only son. He spent his days in manual labor, outside in the hot Texas sun from 4:30am until 4:30pm...then came home to play with his child. At the time, I had no idea what was so special about a father playing football for two hours with his kid--of course, I do now. A 54-year-old man who worked outside all day chooses to spend the early evenings with his son. If only more fathers had that kind of devotion and strength of character. This I will always remember and treasure. Even though my father passed "easily" after 7 years of chronic but not "severe" illness, I seem to have inheireted a host of physical symtoms -- all mirroring HIS symptoms in his later life. I cannot sleep...I've never had insomnia before, and for the past three weeks it's been a living hell, especially due to the fact I'm an athelte. To make matters worse, until THIS week I was having incredible gastrointestiinal pains...none of my staple foods would go down or stay down. Dealing with the loss is hard enough...but the stress of being the only child (who, by the way, was a depression sufferer for six years) while trying to comfort a mom whose life is now upside down is just too much to bear. Add "business owner" to the list, and hopefully you can see my problem. If there's anyone out there who has experienced this sort of disjointment after his/her father passed, please email me and let me know there's hope. I'm in counseling and on medications for sleep...none of which seems to help. Lastly, to my dad (I couldn't resist): "I salute the brave men of WWII...the Greatest Generation indeed...and espeically you Dad, for you not only fought for your country, you fought for your son. I love you, miss you, and respect you beyond words. Say "hi" to King David, will ya? Bye Happy...Jon Dana" My email is: jon@bensondesign.com Thank you.

I Miss My Dad

< more messages to read >> << send a message >> << more from the site owner >> << back home >>