A Not So Good Anniversary

Today marked the two year anniversary of the passing of Jason's father. It was a tough day. I decided to talk my very private husband into letting me post the speech he read at his dad's funeral. It was not an easy task, but I figured the best way to show the love and admiration he felt for his father was to use his own words. As I copied his speech down, I was a little surrpised by how vividly I can remember the day that he spoke them. I can see him behind the podium looking more like a boy than a man, trying his very best to just get through it. I can see our son sitting on my mom's lap eating cracker after cracker, having absolutely no idea of what he had just lost. And I can remember wondering how do we do this...how do I do this right for him? I'm still not sure either one of us knows the answer to that even now. All I do know is that I love my husband and the man that he is each and every day. And I remain thankful to my father in law for loving him, shaping him, and showing him how to be this man.

"I am here today to honor my father...and my best friend. He was truly a wonderful man. As most of you know...he never met a stranger, he could lighten your mood in an instant with his quick wit, he knew just when to listen and when to give advice, he knew when to be tough and when to be tender.
As I remember my father, I am in awe of his selflessness. His mindset was always us before him. I pray that I can serve my family with this same dedication.
A strong follower of Christ, my father led his family by example. He taught me so many valuable lessons and most of those were based on the scriptures. One of our favorites that continues to give me strength is Hebrews 11:1.

'Faith is the assurance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not yet seen.'

My father fought a courageous battle against cancer for the past two years. Again, he did this not for himself but for his family. Although my son, Jack, will not know his Papa in the physical sense...he will know him through me.
I am going to miss my father dearly, but I also feel lucky to have had him as long as I did. Since his passing on Wednesday, a picture of him keeps flashing in my mind. When he would forget something in the house or need to jump out to close a gate at Robert Lee or was just playing a family game of 'gotcha last'...he would often run and swivel his hips as if he had just won the Heisman Trophy. I can take comfort in the fact that he is with the Lord and can run like that once again."