D is for...

Dad.

This particular picture was taken at the National Railway Museum in York, England, during our big family trip there in 1997. He'd recently retired (Navy) so was in his shaggy-professor looking stage. He loved model trains, and was taking over our indoor porch with a model layout. When we were in England, there was simply no way we could be in York and not see the NRM :)

My dad died my senior year in high school, about 2 months before I graduated. As soon as I started thinking about "D's" that are important to me, I knew what I wanted to post on. It just took a little bit of gearing myself up to post this. I know it's been nearly 8 years since he died, but writing about things is still hard. He died VERY suddenly, and in the midst of a very tumultuous time in our lives anyway (HS, starting college). There's still feelings that I haven't fully dealt with, and a lot still that hurts to talk about. They say grief eases with time, and to some extent that's true, but there's still so much that hurts. Questions I want to ask, or things that I want to show him, or things I want him to be there for. All of it can be pushed away in daily life, but that doesn't mean it doesn't still ache when I think about it. I don't want this post to become sappy or maudlin; it's just a topic that's very bittersweet. I was close to Dad, and for that I appreciate the time I did have with him. I know a lot of people who aren't that close with their families. I just wish we all could have had more time together.

WPM (1955-2000) - I miss you Daddy.