7 Years

So I am sure most of you who read my blog know this...but for those of you who don't, today, March 13 is the day my dad passed away due to pancreatic cancer. That was seven years ago. I can't believe its been so long. The other day I was reading a tribute to my dad on a pancreatic cancer research web page that my uncle started up after my dads death. And as I read about the events in that last little less than a year time period before my dad passed away it was almost as if I was reading the story out of book and it seemed so familiar to me. Then it struck me just how real that time period was in my life. The memories are still so vivid in my mind of that last night...and the funeral, the 21 guns, the missing man flyover, the snow that covered the cemetery... The memories are so real but at the same time 7 years has put its mark on them. Its hard to explain and i am not sure I really can..but its like you are reading this long novel and you are pretty far along in the book. And just for fun you look back at first few chapters. The events, the characters they all seem so familiar, you think wow the characters have come so far from their beginning here in these first couple of chapters. But never will the events or characters cease to be in the story and likewise their impact on the rest of the novel will not go away..but they slowly become covered with pages and pages of new stories and characters.

I will never forget this day and the events that led up to it, and the impact they had on me will never fade..but sadly time moves on and my life must also. And as more and more pages of my life separate me from that day; my hope is that people can read my book and see how my dad is still prevalent in who I am today.

Despite the sorrow of that night I do have some great memories of that day. My awesome cousin Joanna turned 16 that day. She had just gotten her license and so she took me and grant out for ice cream. I remember we went to this place called Serrano's in monument. It was a really good time. It was while we were at Serrano's or soon after when Joanna got the call to head over to the hospital. I still remember the drive over there in the old Volvo. Telling grant to stop touching buttons and trying to enjoy my ice cream. I remember asking Joanna if she had a boyfriend, and I remember her telling me that I couldn't date anyone until i was senior in high school and I couldn't date anyone she didn't approve of. lol I remember thinking how far off in the future me ever having a girlfriend would be. Turns out I didn't date till me senior year. And i am pretty sure Joanna approves :) So Happy Birthday Joanna!! I hope it was a good one.

Anyway I am tired and its time for my bed time. I have a big calc test tomorrow so I need my sleep. Anyway I hope everyone is doing well. I till talk to everybody soon! See ya