THE MAN I CALLED DAD - AND THE CYCLE CONTINUES!

My Mother was the most important person in Dad's life - as he was to her.  As their children grew and left home to build their own lives, they finally had time to do things together - just the two of them.  They did everything together, and because I was the last one to leave the nest,  perhaps I was the luckiest of all.  If I hadn't been paying attention to their relationship growing up - I had the opportunity to see it every day as a young adult still living at home.

I used to watch them and hope and dream of a day when I would have what they had.  Their bond was love, but they also respected and treasured each other and their time spent together.

If Mom was sitting in front of the TV making something - chances are Dad was right beside her, or very nearby, doing the same thing.

When Mom passed away at the young age of 61, Dad's world came apart.  I remember an evening about 2 weeks after her death.  I was staying with him and I found him downstairs in the spare bedroom sitting at Mom's desk head down on the desk crying his heart out because he didn't know how to pay a bill.  I had never seen my Dad like this before.  He actually scared me.  We worked through it and he calmed down enough to learn how she did things like pay bills and organize his life... that was the day I first heard him say he didn't know how to live alone.

THE CYCLE 

CONTINUES

Some time ago I wrote a poem,

About some people I knew.

It was my family, or so I thought - 

But you should see how it grew.

First Wayne and Bev, they had three boys;

Charles, then Trevor, then Blair.

A lively time we always had,

When we would visit there!

Merv and Gail had two, you know - 

A girl and then a boy.

Cheri was the quiet one,

And Scott - Oh what a joy!

Norman married Valda,

Two beautiful girls had they.

Alanna, always so serious;

And Cindy, always so gay!

Dale, though looking very hard,

Could not a good man find.

She shared her time with all these kids,

And did not seem to mind.

Now Dean had found that special one,

And took himself a wife.

They built themselves a brand new house.

And had a real good life.

Life was good and happy.

Until that awful day - 

When God reached down amongst us,

And took our Mom away.

Nothing seemed to matter much,

For quite a long long time.

Then slowly time became our friend,

And the sun once more did shine.

Well time continues to roll along,

The future we face together.

For with our love for one and all,

There's nothing we can't weather.

Dale Fischer 

1984