Rewind

Today I am pillaging through papers looking frantically for my husband's car title because he is buying a new car when suddenly the excitement of the purchase is overshadowed by a letter from my dad.  The find was like a gold treasure, way more valuable than the car we are about to purchase.
So, there I sat in the attic, black Ann Taylor pants and all...dusty...tears rolling down my face because I miss so much.  I miss his beautiful handwriting, I miss his sarcasm, I miss the way he wrote like he was speaking...I miss the way he worked so hard to make it to the post office but sometimes it would take three or four trips back to his house to remember what he was going to mail.
My dad wrote the letter about his excitement of us coming to see him in Florida.  He hadn't lived there very long and he was thrilled to show us his new position at Universal Studios.  He played keyboards professionally and was thrilled to actually have business cards, not to mention a 401K.
He also was needing to express the deep grief the family was feeling as my cousin had been diagnosed with MD like his older brother.  My dad hated sharing bad news....his tender heart needed me to know before I got there.
Brian was entering the master's program at OSU and I was teaching full-time which is why we could finally afford to fly down there.  The trip was wonderful.
I am posting the letter in parts for those of you who knew him.

For those of you who did not know him, know this...if you have not experienced the loss of your daddy...take the time to value him more than a BMW or more than a position at work or even more than whatever your filled in blank is right now.  And please, savor the moments, and keep the letters, you may find yourself on your own attic floor wishing you had worn waterproof mascara and jeans.