My Dad!

NOTE: this is long & you may not enjoy it, grab some tissues!

If you know me real well, you know that I love my family! I grew up the baby of 6 children, my dad was a minister when I was born (I never tho't that was fair for me, the other kids got him when he was not so strict, or so I tho't). My mom was a great mom, I realize that now more than ever. My 2 oldest brothers were off and married by the time I came along. So . . . .I said all that to say. I love my parents.
Yesterday, April 13th would have been my dads earthly birthday. He would have been 90 years old, which amazes me. My dad was a interesting individual. He grew up in a Christian home and then for some time left that life and lived it to the fullest. He wrestled in the circus, he traveled with the circus, he rodeoed, he was a bronc rider, broke horses, was a buckaroo for alot of years. See, those are the things I would have enjoyed. My dad also was very competitive and loved to win a good argument. My Grandma Porter was always quoting scripture and so when dad was out on the mountain with the cows, he would take his Bible and study it so he could argue with Grandma. Well God used that to save him. Even though, I always wanted to know the life my dad had in those days, I am SO thankful that God saved him.
I never really got to know my dad until after he retired and I was still in high school. He would work a full time job AND pastor a church. My dad was one of those pastors that in my opinion was very involved in his congregations life, sometimes more than his own families. I resented that for years, but when dad and mom moved to Murphy, he would stop and visit me alot, it started when I lived in Nampa and was a stay home mom and then when I went to work, sometimes he would stop and take me to lunch or just to say HI. When he was diagnosed with cancer, we were all so heartbroken. Dad fought and fought that battle and alot of times, we tho't he had it whipped.
When I became pregnant with Michael, my dad was so thrilled. To me he acted like a kid, sometimes I would be shocked to hear he tell people that I was pregnant, cause he never used that word, 'with child', was usually what he would say. (silly, I know, but it was my dad). The day that Michael was born, he dropped mom off at the hospital and he went to church, when he came back after church and I had my baby boy. He held him and wept. Dad knew he was sick and sometimes know I think maybe he knew something about my Michael. Dad held him and told me that someday, this little boy would touch so many lives. I didn't realize how much truth there was in that quote until later. When we took Michael into the doctor for his check up and to be circumcised, my dad made the trip to Nampa from Murphy and made quite a production of it. It was so funny in a way, he quoted scripture and held Michael and talked to him about how it was going to hurt, but it was scriptural. I was amazed and so thankful that he was interested.
Not too long after that, my dad became very ill. The cancer was getting the best of him. He got to the point he couldn't drive, or go many places, so we would go to Murphy. The kids would go to school and off Michael and I would go. We spent alot of time by the hospital bed in moms living room, talking, singing, listening to Ann Baldwin sing songs, cry, plan his funeral, enjoy visitors, etc. I think the best time I had was just listening to dad talk about his life. He opened up a whole new person to me. He was my father, but in those last few months of his life, he became my DAD. my hero, my friend, the best grandpa a girl could want for her kids. He made wrongs right, he explained things to me that I struggled with for years and never had answers for. He told me "Lisa, please forgive me for how you were raised, your mother and I did the best we knew how". That has stuck with me. I forgave my dad and mom, No I didn't understand the religion we were raised in, but my parents were right where they felt God wanted them to be. But those talks dad and I had over cream of wheat in the living room were so special and awesome. Before dad passed away, he was SO anxious to get to Heaven and see his mom, dad and others. He would talk about it, thinking "this is the day" and we would all meet at the house, crying all the way out there, only to walk in and have him sitting in the chair smiling when we walked through the door. I was sorry to see my dad suffer, but thank God that I had the chance to make a few wrongs right and to see another side of my dad, one that I will cherish forever. Michael was only 4 months old when Poppy left us, but I made sure I told him about his Poppy. When I would hold him for naps, I would tell him about his poppy, then again when Michael was so sick and was leaving this earth, I would hold him and tell him how he was going to see Poppy soon. Right before Michael left, he was lying in my arms and I was rocking him and he looked up to me and said "mom, now who will I see in Heaven?" I named a few cancer friends that left us already, our neighbor lady that had just died in an accident and Grandma Porter-Porter and Poppy, he got this sparkle in his eye (like his Poppy) and said "Well I won't see Crystals cat, she was not nice!"
Sometimes I just picture those two, Dad and Michael walking through Heaven talking, having a great time, waiting for my mom, my brothers and sister, my kids, husband, and me! That helps me on these lonely days, like today.
I am sorry this is long, but oh well. Maybe I inherited my fathers long windiness!