The past week has probably been one of the toughest ones I have ever experienced. It was a week ago today that my father passed away. It’s hard to let go of someone that you have known for over half a century. The man who worked long hours to provide for his large family, but still made time to make each of us feel special. It wasn’t easy – but he made it look as though it was. One of the many reasons, I loved this man.

He hailed from humble beginnings and didn’t have a great childhood. As my brother eulogized, getting married at a young age might have been the best thing that ever happened to him – as finally, he would come home to someone who loved him – unconditionally. That 15 year old girl, my mother, was his “Sweet Thing”, a name that stuck to her until he passed away. He would get a slight twinkle in his eye just mentioning it. There’s a lot to be said for wedded bliss at such a young age, because you literally grow up and grow old together. As his jet black locks faded to gray, he never lost his beautiful smile (he was extremely photogenic), nor his piercing bright blue eyes. Like many young girls, my dad was the first fellow I ever fell in love with.

It’s not a secret that I come from a large family. Three brothers and a sister as a matter of fact. That’s a lot of mouths to feed and clothes to buy. I had my share of hand me downs, but it didn’t matter. My dad saw that our needs were met, and that was enough. He always said our “wants will come later.” I recall him telling me to “get whatever you want before you have kids – because after you have kids – you won’t be able to afford the things you want.” Without question, he always placed our needs above his. His work ethic was impeccable. He never missed time at work. In over 30 years at Corning Glass Works I can only recall him being off from work once, because he suffered third degree burns on his hand while repairing something at the plant.

With dad, he didn’t like average, he expected exceptional. In whatever you would pursue he would say something worth doing is worth doing well. I would like to think that I live by his wisdom. That wasn’t always the case though as I’ve chimed time and time again that growing up I was more like Meathead to his Archie Bunker. It’s an analogy I often use -- but as I matured and realized that his wisdom was well placed, more and more I appreciated the fact that he was right about matters we had a difference in opinion on previously.

What will I remember most? It’s hard to pick up one thing, let alone a few. I always loved the family’s Sunday afternoon football games in the front yard, or him teaching me how to catch a baseball (“catch it or eat it” – I learned how to catch really fast), teaching me how to play basketball, the hours we would spend downstairs playing ping pong. I recall him standing at the fence watching me play softball in the girls’ league and silently cheering me on. I remember him there at the birth of my only child, his first granddaughter whom he cherished. Of course all of those things are memorable, but what I will always be the fondest of is the way he taught each of his children to treat others right, to use our manners and to be kind and good to one another. Those traits we carry with us forever and hopefully instill in our own children.

Dad believed in discipline and I was on the receiving end of it more times than I care to recollect. But he wasn’t unjust, he was fair minded. It is often I tell folks my dad, if he promised you ice cream, you got it. If he promised a butt-whooping, well you got that too (and I had my share of both growing up).

The best quality of all was his love of his family. Being married to my mother for over 61 years set a sterling example of how a marriage should work with the vows taken long before I was born, upheld and honored. Mom and dad had their share of richer and poorer and sickness and health. It’s when those challenges reared their heads that my father’s true character arose.

I could write volumes and perhaps someday I will. But for now, this testimony will have to suffice. I loved my father so much but realize his earthly work was done and he was needed in Heaven. As the song in the video would indicate, “when something’s lost, something’s gained” – I understand all too well now. We’ll see each other again, that I am certain. But until then, my humbled heart will miss him.