15 years, 15 months, 15 weeks, 15 days, 30 years

[ga flatwoods]

At 7:40 pm fifteen years ago this date I got the call that my dad had had a heart attack and feared dead at 55 years old. Ten minutes later I was ten miles from that phone at the restaurant where Daddy and Mama had been eating. Mama saw it when it hit but didnt know it at the time. She asked if he was ok and he sat upright and asked "Are you ready to go home?" Well, right then and there he did. He was still present when I arrived although his body lay dead. The end of his prophecy. Granddad and all greatuncles had died earlier than 53. "Living on borrowed time" he'd say. " Three years now past your grandaddy." He insisted he would never see retirement. Missed that date by 1.5 months! He made it. Programmed to fail. The mind is a powerful thing.
He used to say on behalf of Grandaddy's passing "Son when your daddy dies there is a void left in your heart that ni matter what you try to fill it will will never cover. It gets larger at times, and smaller at times, but is always present." I find this to be a true statement. Time slips by. As in the subject 15 years niw, 15 months at times, 15 weeks, days , and sometimes minutes. Ever so often comes the rare visit through a dream then the inevitable awakening with feelings of comfort of old with followed foreboding. Tonight it is 15 years, long and lean, full Yet empty. I rebuke the ideology of heriditary destiny and choose instead the other side of the family to relish. The side of the Irish immigrants living beyond 80 and 90 years, drinking moonshine whiskey in two week drunks, never taking meds for bp or cholesterol yet eating pork and dipping lard onto ever plateful eaten. The side of the Creek indians from which maternal grandma favors even with her Irish Stanfield roots. The indians that were never ran from the swamps of the lower Altamaha River swamps and remained to marry into the settlers of the area. The side of working hard and sometimes hardly working. I will grow old, at least enough to regret it.
Tonight, I take a drink of my best liquor in your honor! You still piss me off. There is still a void. Tonight a little larger, tomorrow a little smaller. I will take a second drink for me. Wow! 15 years already!
David

[Halfbaked]

Lift a glass for me in his honor. Sorry for your loss.

[jbird1992]

I will drink to that


Made me think of my momma.....we lost her almost 6 years ago. Very well said as there is always a empty spot some-days it feels bigger than others

What amazes me is I will be fine and then out of the blue a smell or phrase will hit you like a ton of bricks

[jedneck]

I feel you. I lost my old man 3 1/2 years ago. There will always be a hole some days its bigger than others.
Miss you pops.

[MitchyBourbon]

I think I'll call my dad, and then I'll call my son.

[TDS]

Cheers man, All The Best to you and your Family.

[S-Cackalacky]

Very moving story Flatwoods. Here's a glass raised to a long life and good health - to you my friend.

[aquavita]

Flatwoods -

SKOL

He'd be proud.

[Stainless dude]

I raise my glass, thanks for sharing that story GA. Reading that made me think of loved ones lost...

[Tater]

heres to ya

[FullySilenced]

HERE HERE... its a journey we shall all take...

[ga flatwoods]

Thanks for the time to read this everyone and reflect for yourself memories of those already past.
GA Flatwoods

[rad14701]

Tipping one back as I type this...

[Truckinbutch]

Sipping one with you as I post . Powerful post on it's own . More meaningful to me when we just moved my MIL in under hospice care to finish her days and my Dad is just across the hill living alone at 87 .

[corene1]

My thoughts are with you. My father passed 24 years ago and it still brings up a loneliness that can't be filled.
For You

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[Windy City]

Thanks for that Flatwoods.
Your words really moved me.
It will be ten years tomorrow when I lost my Dad. I still find my self wanting to grab the phone and give him a call when I hear something funny or many of the other things that we would share on a daily basis. I then have to remind myself he is gone and just have to take solace in our times we had.

Thanks and lets all raise one to our Dads
Windy City

[woodshed]

Thanks Flatwoods. Very nice. Coming up on 3 years my dad has been gone. Your story touched on many of my own thoughts.

[firewater69]

Heres to you & your old man, i feel the same way about my grandfather. i had a close call with my dad last year. so bottoms up!

[sweeps]

It's just over fifteen years since my dad departed. We didn't always see eye to eye, but I see his face whenever I look in the mirror. I'm going to raise a glass now and call my mother tomorrow.

[SpottedDog]

The fine character of the father is reflected in the eloquence of the son.

Cheers! Raising a sip of my best in honor of both.

And reflecting on my good fortune in having all these friends that I've never met.

[Saltbush Bill]

Raising a glass of my finest to you, That is some post, got me thinking about my old Dad and the things I always wanted to do with him, but never did get around to before it was to late..

[Dan P.]

An engaging and moving post.

[Cardinalbags]

Very moving and hits close to home. Next year will be 15 years since my old man passed at age 56.

I'll be hoisting two tonight, one for my dad, one for yours.

[IrishEnigma]

Definitely a moving story. It's crazy to think the people around you are there, have been there for so many years, then can be gone within seconds. I had a friend/Co worker just pass away from a heart attack a couple Weeks ago. Seemed healthy, was sitting around at work and it just hit him. Couple minutes later he was dead. Ambulance showed up and revived him, but he was to far gone, to much brain damage. Thanks for sharing Ga, and sorry for your loss.

[LWTCS]

Pretty sure that was your finest publizized wordsmithing.
Cheers to you and your Pap.

[SoMo]

GA,a very heartfelt post I'm sure typing it was a million replays of scenes and times gone by memories to last a lifetime. I'm fortunate enough to still have my parents and these posts make me grateful that I do. When I built my still I named it TR in memory of my late father in law gone three years now, the cheap whiskey swillingest man in the world. My wife had me put a 2"x2" copper wire heart on the column that matched the tattoo she and her dad had that matched with their initials inside, ensuring every drop was made with love and warmed the soul as well as the body. I raise a spirit to all the spirits of the world, may the angels always have their share and the pains we feel they've replaced with halos and streets of gold in a place far better than earth. I hope everyone can find peace and happiness remembering the good times we've had the good times to come and the importance of those we still have for 15 seconds, 15 minutes, 15 days months or years. Melloman

[Coyote]

Lost Dad last July,
Still a struggle.
I reach to pick up the phone and catch myself,
no one to ask that question of.

Great read Flatwood, the read its self was a struggle.

I don't relish the next 15 years

Thanks for taking part of the trail for me.

Coyote

[Jimbo]

Glass is up.

Slàinte my good friend, to a long and stuborn Irish life.

[FullySilenced]

I can assure you that it gets better with time ... but it never gets easier... you will forever want 5 more minutes of visitation...

[Rivver]

It's been 15 years, 4 months, and 6 days since I lost my dad. He never knew a stranger, and was the best damn story teller in our parts. Loved history, especially Civil War history, both my brother and I are named after Confederate Generals. He was a god fearing man, went to church every Sunday, and many people heard him read from the bible, and I'm sure he lives on in their memories with his deep voice and captivating manor. I know I still hear him from time to time.

But it was the whiskey that he loved so much that finally got him in the end. He had a hard life and started drinking at an early age, and continued that throughout most of his life. I can feel him from time to time when I'm in the still shed, by myself....just checking in on me to make sure I'm doing it right. Puts a smile on my face.