Dogs, Children and Life is Fleeting

Due to the threads about dogs and kids going off to school, I would like to share a story.

For all the dog lovers, and especially those that love Labs, I will have to share a very special story. It is long, but I feel the need to share.

Since the age of 15 my Dad was a carpenter. There was nothing he could not build out of wood, over the years he built many homes. He built our daughter's first rocking horse and big girl bed, after she outgrew her crib. He was truly a master carpenter.

Three summers ago he had a heart attack and after that due to the heart condition, a bleeding disorder that prevented him from taking blood thinners, and rhuematoid arthritis, he could no longer do his carpentry. So he and Mom put in a frame shop to frame art work. Many of the frames my Dad custom built, including some beautiful ones out of my wooden fence I replaced.

As the heart condition worsened and the arthritis too, he could not do the framing anymore due to lack of strength in his hands. This really broke his heart as this was his passion, working with wood.

In May my daughter was moving into her first apartment without roommates and I wanted her to have something special for it, so I ordered a print of a mother Lab and 3 pups. My Mom told me if I would get the mats cut here in Memphis, she would get the frame and get my brother to cut the glass.

The day I took it up to their house to put it together I did not know my Dad had insisted he help with it and had cut the glass and put the frame together, even though he was in much pain. He said it might be his last, but he was going to do it for Meredith.

Their frame shop was next door to their house and Mom put the print, frame and mats together and it took much longer than expected and I needed to drive back to Memphis, so as soon as we finished, I put it in the car and rushed home.

When Mom went back to the house, my Dad asked where was the print he wanted to see it finished and Mom had to tell him I had already left. When Mom told me this, I promised Meredith would make a photo of it and I would send it to them.

Well Meredith moved into her apartment around the middle of May and summer school started and she got a job and got busy and time passed, as it does and we both forgot about the picture.

On Father's day I called my Dad and he was having a very good day and said he felt better than he had in months. We had a good talk. The next morning at 4am, my Dad had a massive heart attack and stroke and passed away one week later on Saturday night.

Since Meredith was at Ole Miss, and I was sure on a Sat. night, she was out with her friends, I did not want to call her and tell her about Dad right then. I decided to wait until I could go down and tell her in person.

During the wee hours of the morning, she woke up crying and got up and sent me the photo and a note, Mom, print this and take it to Gaggy when you go to the hospital today.

We were too late. Please do not put off telling your loved ones you love them, hug your kids often.

We did however place the photo in the casket with him and I know he loved it.

Here is the print and thanks for letting me share, I am really missing him today.