My first Father's Day without my Dad...

[Smoten]

It's been eight months since he passed away. He suddenly died from a brain aneurysm the day before my sister's birthday in October and a month before her wedding. It is by far the worst pain I've ever experienced in my life. He meant absolutely everything in the world to me...

It was like any other day, I was staying up late to continue my epic quest to watch the entirety of The Simpson’s in chronological order because there’s precisely jack shit to do when you get off work at six in the mourning and all your friends have day jobs, when we suddenly got a call from my dad’s work saying that he’d had been rushed to the hospital. I knew something had to be horribly wrong right then and there; my dad was so much of a badass that he once drove himself to the hospital in a stick-shift with a broken shifting arm. When we got there, we were informed that a blood vessel had burst in his brain and that all the excess blood was causing tremendous pressure on his brain. They tried their best to drain the blood to relieve the pressure, but he was simply bleeding to much.

I've been truly blessed to have been raised in such a caring and loving family. He had been married to my mother for 31 years and I am the eldest of his three children; his only son. It's been particularly hard for me. He was the one person I came to for advise, wisdom and knowledge. I miss talking with him. I miss playing games with him. I miss his laugh. I definitely miss his laugh the most. Especially when he was cracking up to something incredibly stupid. It was simply enchanting every time I heard it.

He introduced me to science fiction, my greatest joy in life. He got hooked me hooked since first reading The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in the third grade. I was raised on Star Trek, Star Wars, Red Dwarf, Tom Baker’s Dr Who, 2001 a Space Odyssey, and a whole slew of Sci-fi B-movies. When we started watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 together, I had realized I had seen a great deal of the movies they were showing before sans commentary. It may sound strange, but I love it! I am a sucker for shitty science fiction because of that man and I can’t thank him enough!

Tonight I drink to him, his memory and all that he gave me. Dad, you once told me that a man is never truly dead until they are forgotten, so hear is to you and may you live forever in the memories of all you have touched. Cheers.

 

[Hootus1]

Hey Smoten, my condolonces on your recent loss of your dad. I lost my dad in march of 1989, and I still think of him damn near every day. The only thing I could ever do that he couldn't was catch fish. He just never got the hang of it. Let me pass on a funny story about my dad and fishing. The last time he came to see me, we went fishing on my father in laws farm. We stood right next to each other and I was landing three and four pound bass, and he wasn't catching nothing. So I said, "Take my lure and try it, and i will go over by the dam. The dam was 50 yards away from him. I got over there and started catching them, and he still wasn't catching nothing. So he waved me back over to him and asked, "How the hell do you do it?" I said, "Well dad, I guess when your good, your good!" He shot me the finger and said, "KISS MY ASS!" Lol!

Take care man, and remember, it will get easier as time passes by. Remember the fun things you and he did together.

 

[Smoten]

Thank you, Hootus. I will.

 

[TressSlave]

My father died suddenly a few years ago. By sudden, I mean I spoke to him at 6pm and asked him what he was going to have for dinner, and by 9 pm he was gone.

Father's Day will get easier, but it's going to take some time. Yesterday, I made the mistake of drinking before my mother picked me up to drive out to the cemetery. She thought I was having some sort of nervous breakdown -- and perhaps I was.

My relationship with my father was pretty contensious -- and we saw eye to eye on very little if anything. It hurts that we didn't have time to set things right (and that's even after a year of therapy) -- but better it should happen quickly rather than some protracted and painful illness.

This father's day will be the most challenging -- hang in there.

ts

 

[Rox_My_Sox1]

I believe you will see him again hun. So don't think he's gone forever.

Just know he is always rooting from you to do your best and be happy.

My mistress and I shall have a scotch on the rocks tonight in memory of your awesome Dad.

 

[lionhart1]

My condolences smoten. I can relate as well. One friday (oct 8 2010) my father and I sat and talked abut everything from politics to baseball (I think the phillies and the cards were playing in the playoffs at the time) and that was just how we always were. Sipping coffee, talking, playing chess, or watching old movies or sports. On sunday morning at 8am I was at work and got a call from my gf saying that my dad had been rushed to the hospital, and by the time I was halfway to the hospital he had been pronounced deceased. Ironically it was 10/10/2010. Not a day goes by that I don't look at pics of he and I and wish to have those days back, but i'm fourtunate enough to have two great sons myself to do things with. Once upon a time I thought that I would make a really crappy father, but the memories of my dad and I keep me going, and remind me of how he raised me. Our experiences probably differ and divide, but our hearts and minds connect us brother. Our fathers are still in our corner cheering us on, and wanting us to keep going, and to be as happy as possible. I know it sounds sappy, but it couldn't be more true. Be well my friend.

 

[Smoten]

It's been a while, but I would like to say thank you to everyone that has posted in this thread. You are wonderful people.

I would also like to give special thanks and condolences to lionhart and tresslave for sharing their stories. You guys rock.

 

[Regal]

Tonight I drink to him, his memory and all that he gave me. Dad, you once told me that a man is never truly dead until they are forgotten, so hear is to you and may you live forever in the memories of all you have touched. Cheers.

That's more than what my own father ever told me.

 

[Smoten]

You have my sympathies.