RIP, Dad'n. I love you.
My dad passed away on this day.......3 years ago.
I was on my way to Louisiana to do disaster relief work from hurricane Katrina, when I got a phone call from my aunt. It was about 4:30 in the morning. I was sleeping in the back of the car, and heard my phone ringing from the front of the car.....and I just remember jumping up and KNOWing something bad was happening.
I didn't know what happened. All she said was, my dad had stopped breathing and they were at the emergency room. That was it. Thats all she said. Then she hung up.
I remember calling Johnny.
Then there was nothing. Nothing but waiting.
I just sat and sat and sat and prayed and prayed and prayed. I was thinking about everything. I was thinking of how they could have found him in time at that hour? How did they find him? How did they know he was not breathing and find him?
I slowly started to realize that no one would have been able to find him in time, at that time, so early in the morning.
Just when I was giving up on anyone telling me anything about what was going on, Johnny called. He was crying. He could hardly speak, I just remember him saying how sorry he was.
I was on my way to Louisiana. It was the complete wrong way from where I needed to be. I became an orphan that morning, in a car full of near strangers...going further and further away from where I needed to be.
My cousin called. She said they were going to find a way to get me on a plane. I didn't even know what I was doing. Complete shock had set in.
No one said anything to me. Thats what I remember. No one knew what to say. I just wanted someone to say something to me.
We finally pulled over. I got out and walked out to the middle of a pasture. I remember calling my cousin, Ryan....I don't remember anything we said, except that I remember she would talk to me. I was starting to lose it. I was in the middle of a pasture, so many many miles away. Stuck. My gramma wouldn't talk to me, I couldn't get ahold of her.
My aunt, who happens to live in Louisiana, sent my cousins gf to pick me up at the exit where we had stopped. It took her about an hour and a half. I had never met her before. She was an angel. She was the best way anyone could be in that situation. I have not seen her again, since that car ride.
She took me to meet my aunt in Lafayette. My aunt was going to bring me to Oklahoma. On the way, my aunt pulled over and bought a carton of cigarettes. We chain smoked, one after another. It was our secret, no one in our families knew either of us smoked. Despite everything, Im grateful for that time with her. She was a savior.
Looking out the window.. I wondered how I would be okay to tell my son his pops had passed away. I wondered why my gramma wouldn't talk to me. She was the only person I wanted. Why wouldn't she talk to me?
After a full day of driving, we finally pulled up to my grandmothers house. All I wanted to do was find my gramma and collapse. I got out of the car, and we started walking towards each other.
I got right up to her, and she collapsed in my arms.
This day.....September 26th. Exactly 3 years ago.
I will never forget you.
I was on my way to Louisiana to do disaster relief work from hurricane Katrina, when I got a phone call from my aunt. It was about 4:30 in the morning. I was sleeping in the back of the car, and heard my phone ringing from the front of the car.....and I just remember jumping up and KNOWing something bad was happening.
I didn't know what happened. All she said was, my dad had stopped breathing and they were at the emergency room. That was it. Thats all she said. Then she hung up.
I remember calling Johnny.
Then there was nothing. Nothing but waiting.
I just sat and sat and sat and prayed and prayed and prayed. I was thinking about everything. I was thinking of how they could have found him in time at that hour? How did they find him? How did they know he was not breathing and find him?
I slowly started to realize that no one would have been able to find him in time, at that time, so early in the morning.
Just when I was giving up on anyone telling me anything about what was going on, Johnny called. He was crying. He could hardly speak, I just remember him saying how sorry he was.
I was on my way to Louisiana. It was the complete wrong way from where I needed to be. I became an orphan that morning, in a car full of near strangers...going further and further away from where I needed to be.
My cousin called. She said they were going to find a way to get me on a plane. I didn't even know what I was doing. Complete shock had set in.
No one said anything to me. Thats what I remember. No one knew what to say. I just wanted someone to say something to me.
We finally pulled over. I got out and walked out to the middle of a pasture. I remember calling my cousin, Ryan....I don't remember anything we said, except that I remember she would talk to me. I was starting to lose it. I was in the middle of a pasture, so many many miles away. Stuck. My gramma wouldn't talk to me, I couldn't get ahold of her.
My aunt, who happens to live in Louisiana, sent my cousins gf to pick me up at the exit where we had stopped. It took her about an hour and a half. I had never met her before. She was an angel. She was the best way anyone could be in that situation. I have not seen her again, since that car ride.
She took me to meet my aunt in Lafayette. My aunt was going to bring me to Oklahoma. On the way, my aunt pulled over and bought a carton of cigarettes. We chain smoked, one after another. It was our secret, no one in our families knew either of us smoked. Despite everything, Im grateful for that time with her. She was a savior.
Looking out the window.. I wondered how I would be okay to tell my son his pops had passed away. I wondered why my gramma wouldn't talk to me. She was the only person I wanted. Why wouldn't she talk to me?
After a full day of driving, we finally pulled up to my grandmothers house. All I wanted to do was find my gramma and collapse. I got out of the car, and we started walking towards each other.
I got right up to her, and she collapsed in my arms.
This day.....September 26th. Exactly 3 years ago.
I will never forget you.