The Day I Lost Dad

What do we remember from the day our loved ones passed?

For PK, it’s a cup of joe and the mountain air… just like Dr. K liked it.

Lost my dad 2 years ago today.

I was in Colorado at the time, as I am now. 

I’ll never forget making coffee early that morning… shortly after the call came in, long before the sun rose. 

Everything was still. 

‘Til coffee. 

Dad loved his coffee and so in some way I feel like we shared a cup. Maybe two… as I stared up at the mountains in a place he loved dearly and I did as well. 

The emotions and enormity of losing one of my very best cheerleaders and rocks and guides brewed in my head as the mountain air did its best to comfort me. 

Neighbors back home in Florida, I’d care for him and work hard to navigate his Alzheimer’s each day. He would have hated to know that life with dementia was how it would end. Thankfully, he would never really know. 

Maybe he meant to let go while I was in the mountains… not sure it was easy to let go with us all home as I would constantly check in on him, the kids would run in and out, coffee and (what he thought was alcoholic) cocktails at the ready. 

On this day two years ago though, he called it. 

He chose a new kind of peace and began his search to find Mom once again.