On May 27th, 2010 my dad passed away after a tough battle with cancer. His name was Armando Carnesecchi, but we always called him Mick. Today would have been his 63rd birthday.
My family members who still live in Michigan are spending the day remembering him in meaningful ways.......taking flowers and homemade cookies to those special 6th floor nurses at U of M who took such good care of him, then going to Spicer's apple orchard which he loved to do, visiting his grave, and basically spending the day together as a family remembering him lovingly.
I am having such a hard time today. Life has crowded in on me this Saturday. I am sitting at work. I have a few minutes. I so want to honor him in a meaningful way. All I can think to do is write.
I love you. I miss you. Thank you for raising me as one of your own even though I never really gave you any real thanks or real signs that I fully accepted you and thought of you as my dad. I regret that I never called you Dad. I call you that now. It took losing you to remember all the many was that you treated me as your flesh and blood.
Thank you for your goofy spirit. Thank you for the way you always reminded me to wear my seatbelt. Thank you for teaching me to drive. Thank you for being strict. Thank you for being proud of me and my accomplishments. Thank you for allowing me to marry Jared after only dating him for a couple of months. Thank you for trusting me and my seemingly crazy judgment.
Thank you for being such a great grandpa to my kids. For taking them on the yearly Christmas shopping trip to buy a special gift for their parents. For taking them fishing---for morphing a simple fishing trip into a full blown tournament complete with categories and prizes for winners! Thank you for reenacting the Polar Express for them---punching their tickets...setting the room up like the inside of a train.....convincing all the uncles to come in the back door dancing with hot-hot-hot hot chocolate in their hands! Some of their best childhood memories will include you and your fun spirit.
Thank you for always coaching my teams and staying involved with who my friends were. Thank you for fighting so hard to get Chris and me back from Arizona when my real dad (who never deserved that name) tried to keep custody of us illegally. Thank you for going to IL and working so hard to keep our family together. Thank you for turning the fact that you had Diabetes into a true cause that has touched so many lives for the better.
Thank you for fighting so hard to stay alive.......Thank you for the courage you had to know when it was time for hospice. Thank you for lifting your arm that one last time to hug me before you lost consciousness and started your long and mysterious week long journey to death............to eternal life.
Thank you for being my dad. Thank you for making that dvd that we played at your funeral that clearly and humbly gave the gospel message. Thank you for yielding to the Holy Spirit and giving your life to Christ.
Happy Birthday Dad. I love and miss you. One day we'll be together again.
Aww Kate that made me cry. My aunts birthday was the 23rd and she also died of cancer. She was only 32 when she past. She also was a mother figure to me. I think of her everyday and what it will be like when I get to heaven to be with her again. Your DAD reminds me so much of my aunt, w/ the seatbelt and shopping and so much more. She is the one that got me to follow in the God's footsteps that lead me to the right path and showing w/ God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. Sorry you have to work today and having to think about your DAD. God was ready for him as my aunt told me as she past away on that hospital bed. Oct 12 2001 is when she past and it still hurts to this day bc I dont have her around to shop, joke, go to church, I'm a true believer that she is my guardian angel
ReplyDelete