"Only A Memory Away"

This is something I wrote and read at my father’s burial. I’m adding this to my blog in the event that it may help others to deal with the death of a loved one.

“ONLY A MEMORY AWAY”

While this is a sad time for us all, we need to remember that Dad is and always will be with us each and every day. Sometimes we feel his presence, almost as if he were standing right beside us. Each day we’re reminded of things he’s said or done, bringing a smile to our face and a tear to our eye.

Dad is in each and every one of us in one way or another and we continue to pass on his wisdom and teachings to our friends, neighbors, and especially to our children. Dad’s abilities were limitless and his love endless. He would do anything for anyone, without wanting something in return. He lived his life the old fashioned way, caring for his fellow man, just as we all should.

He never bragged, or worried about getting credit for things he’d done. He had too much self-confidence to care what others thought of him. Dad always said “I’m going to do something, even if it’s wrong,” but with dad everything always seemed to turn out right.

We know what a great man Dad was and the love we all feel for him is a testament to the type of human being he was. From my mother, sisters and brothers, our spouses and children, to anyone who ever knew Dad, we can see the type of man he was by how much love and respect we all feel for him.

Dad lives on in us all; he’s in our smiles, our eyes, the blood running through our veins, and within our very souls. Dad will never be gone as long as he’s remembered, and his teachings are passed along to our future generations. His family and his land were his life, and his legacy goes on as we go on, loving and supporting each other just like Dad always did for us.

Love you Dad, I still see and hear you everywhere, everyday, and I know you’ll always be near. You’re only a memory away.