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Certain holidays bring back some very special holidays. Contest entry. |
Remember I'll never forget our last Father's Day with my Dad. He was in the middle stages of a disease that stole memories of his mind. He was in a wheelchair after a fall that left him with a sore hip. He rarely spoke because of a stroke that made his speech aberrant. Our backyard was just a stone's throw from a path to the beach that the family had walked down many times. The grass had just been cut. Flowers in my garden drooped due to lack of rain. And the kids were laughing at the way a beach ball bounced after they hit it with their heads. The midday meal was just put on to cook. The smell of baked beans and barbecue was beginning to float through the air. Inside the house the table was set for six people. This was to be a day of love for the men who went above and beyond to guide us through the tough times. After we ate, we all went to the beach where the gulls swooped down to pick up food. Dolphins were playing at a distance. We stopped to watch the clouds drift by. All seemed so peaceful. Then in a distance appeared a small sailboat. The crew waved to us. My father then waved his hand and said, as clear as a a bell, "That's my barque, Marjorie. Named for my wife. She's gone." And late last night, my father joined her. |