Sailing with you dad.

Image for google images.

My father is an incredible man. He worked hard and created art as a hobby. He used a propane torch, he brazed and used flux and he created art. He used to make these awesome wire frame sailboats. The main sail and jib  copper triangles. I watched him like a hawk. His shadow. I became an artist because of him. I am in awe of him. 

He needs your prayers.

I am thinking of my father today. He is faltering. He is deciding right now if he has the strength to to be strong…to continue living.

It is a beautiful and sad place to be. The body is only so strong. It can only go on for so long. It weakens and we become tired—and we stop struggling against the current. We finally float, we lay back upon the waters of life, and we surrender everything.

The ultimate surrender. Then, if we are lucky loved ones come to us..and cradle us against their chest. Like teaching a baby to swim, we hold them, we walk out of the water, we stand upon the sandy bank of the river, we unfurl our wings, we lift our face, and we carry the loved one into heaven, into the center of the sun. Where there is forever warmth and light…

I think of my dad as a young man, I think of him fixing things. He was an excellent fixer of things. Have I told you how I admire people who know how to fix things? (smiling-sighing)
He would fix the lawn mower and do electrical work. and he would magically make the Christmas tree stand straight when no one else could. 

He could make anything. And I was so contend standing beside him outside- as he fixed things. I would had him a tool. I prided myself on knowing what the needle nose pliers looked like, or the difference between a phillips tip or a flat tip upon a screw driver. It was who he was. It was who I became.

Pray for my father, as he struggle with the decision-to stay or go. It is up to him to decide. It is a choice. Living to be an old person is honorable, it takes strength to grow old. It is not for sissy’s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50WIs0Rbm9Q

My father sang in the choir at First Baptist church most of my whole life. He loved music. I leave you with this link…it is to me- what heaven would sound like. It is a glorious piece of art.

As I thought about an image-what could possibly convey to you-the beauty of a man?… AT first I thought -just a black page…with the link of “Adagio for Strings” by Samuel Barber. But then I thought about all of his sail boats..ALL the multiple sculptures he made—over and over again- he created the same sculpture. 

The sail boat. 

It is only fitting then that instead of flying him into the sun- we should sail into the sunset…laughing- drinking…Like we did ages ago—in Tampa. My husband, children, his sister, he and I…drinking champagne. LIVING our fullest life.

I love you dad.