Remembering Dad

When my dad passed away three years ago, I felt the earth being pulled out from underneath me. I had never experienced such loss. My heart ached and I felt empty and for the first time in my life I suffered anxiety attacks. Time does heal, but I still miss my dad. How lucky I was to have had him in my life. He was the best!

Here is what I will never forget:

how he adored his five girls
his love for my mother
how he was so shy that he couldn’t even give a toast to Rick and me on our wedding day
how hard he worked
how protected I felt growing up under his care and love
how he paid for me to go to the best private schools and continued to so generously pay for my university education
how he used to sing O Sole Mio in the most beautiful singing voice
how he loved to dance, light on his feet
his big strong brown hands
his handsome face, his perfect teeth, and his beautiful green eyes
his hearty appetite!! (we loved to watch him eat with so much gusto!)
his stories of growing up in Sicily (he was the best story teller)
how he loved to dress well
how easily he let tears flow when he felt emotional
watching him play bocce ball with his friends (he was a champion player!)
how he brought us all Valentine’s chocolates in heart shaped boxes every year
his vegetable garden, his fruit tress, his gardening skills, his sausage making and his homemade wine