In February.
The blessing of that is that he is no longer living with Alzheimer's. He was in his 10th year and was becoming more and more miserable. More and more living without his beloved mind and spirit.
I'm so grateful for his life.
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Daddy and my older sister, Frances |
He wasn't perfect.
He was good.
So good.
He loved God. his family, music, and engineering. Some days in different orders.
He loved to sing. More than I, or anyone, can imagine.
My father's side of the family were engineer types and musicians.
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My grandmother, daddy, and his sister Fayre |
He was both.
He came by his love for music honestly,
He had no formal training.
That did not inhibit him at all.
In his younger days he sang in every choir that would have him - especially at church.
He sang solos. He sang in quartets.
He sang in duets. He sang in Trios.
He played handbells. He taught kids to play handbells.
He played solo handbells (which in case you don't know is SOOOOO stinking hard).
In my grown up years he sang in a community choral.
He loved this. The choral sang the fancy stuff.
Bach, Handel, Beethoven.
All the stuff that was rare in his church choir.
The day he had to stop singing in Choral was a pretty big deal.
It meant things were bad. His mind and body were failing him.
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Not my sister - my neice Jayelle. |
The last few years of his life he went to church with my sister Stephanie. They sang hymns side by side.
I don't know which of them enjoyed it more.
I channel him sometimes.
When I hear a choir anthem that I particularly like, no matter what I'm doing, I lean forward, come up on my toes, then typically rock backward as the music comes through my soul.
My chin lifts up and my neck strains and tilts my head to one side.
My shoulders raise, my arms bend at the elbows, and those elbows lift slightly from my sides.
If I am not careful, my hands begin to bounce and wave as if I am directing a choir or conducting an orchestra.
At this point - which always catches me by surprise - I think HOLY COW I've become my father!
What a legacy.
Please click here and take a moment to celebrate my daddy.