Remembering Daddy

I can't believe that it has been 10 years today since my daddy went to be with the Lord. I have so many memories of my daddy--how strong I always thought he was, how I always thought he was so smart (especially with numbers), how he loved my mama, how I was terrified of him (one look from him and I was thoroughly disciplined!), how loyal he was to his friends and family, what a hard worker he was, how bossy he was! In fact when my brother Rick died two years ago, we joked and said that Ronald (my brother that died in 1989) probably told Rick that it was about time he got there, that Daddy had been working him to death! Daddy would sometimes make me clean out the refrigerator and he would inspect it and if it didn't meet his approval, I had to take everything out and start over! That was in the days before we had frost-free refrigerators. I know that before he died from lung cancer, he just about wore my poor old mama out--he would not let anyone do anything for him except her. We had Hospice nurses and a sitter that just sat and put puzzles together with us and talked about the sky falling--we called her Chicken Little--she was a little out there but she kept us laughing.
Some of my greatest memories of my daddy are from when he was sick. See, he was an alcoholic and had never even been to church except for funerals and a couple of weddings. Well, he accepted Christ a couple of months before he died. I remember that day when I went to see him--I walked in the door and I could just feel the peace in the air but I didn't know that he had been saved until mama told me. I remember him laying on the couch and bending down and kissing his cheek and he said, "Oh, you're cold. You need to get mama to get you a blanket." That was just so sweet to me because my daddy had always been real gruff and I was always afraid of him.
It took me a while after he died to forgive him for not becoming a Christian long before he died. I had the attitude that why couldn't I have had the opportunity to know my daddy as a Christian growing up--but the Lord showed me that at least he was with Him and I will get to spend eternity with him. Eternity is a lot better than a few years as a child! I still have regrets, but I guess we all do. I think that is why I am so thankful for Eddie being such a godly daddy for our children.
This is my daddy and me when I was about 3 years old.