For Dad on his 78th Birthday
When his cool blue
Chevy got t-boned in ‘72
He walked away
without a scratch
In the summer of 2004
Four days after his
birthday
He suffered a stroke
Things would never be
the same
Another stroke
His body betrayed him
Worse, his mind
slipped away
November 28, 2010 was
his last day on Earth
~Lily~
My father loved comics, so I created this Flash 55 logo in his honor.
No, I did not draw The Flash. I just photoshopped in the words.
Ah--so sad. But you've told a story of how things go, how luck works and then doesn't. Thanks. k.
ReplyDeleteYes, that's life. You win some you lose some.
DeleteWhen my great uncle was dying from prostate cancer, his attitude was "this too is nature." I always admired him for that.
Kind thanks for stopping by.
What a moving and sad story ~ My dad also suffered a stroke but fortunately he survived but he is still in so much pain & misery ~ Enjoyed your lovely offering ~
ReplyDeleteAnd nice to meet you ~
I'm sorry to hear about your dad's stroke, Grace. My father suffered neuropathic pain after his stroke as well. He took Gabapentin, but it really didn't do much to relieve the pain. I hope your father is able to find something that helps.
DeleteThere's still so much the medical community doesn't know regarding strokes, although the rehab aspect has improved greatly in the last 25 years.
Sometimes I don't know which is more merciful, the slow dying or the quick one ~ For the last 10 years now he is in pains & my mom have done everything ~ Lately they brought him to a faith healer to ease his pains and so far, he feels better ~
DeleteThanks for visiting my 2 blogs ~ I have a split personality when it comes to writing ~ Have a lovely weekend ~
(aka Heaven)
Seems to me...well, I notice any way that lots of people pass close to their Birthdays...coincidence...?
ReplyDeleteWell done in honor of your father.
My father passed when there was nobody in the room with him, which bothers my mother a lot. She wanted to be with him. The staff at Hospice said that this is actually a fairly common thing. People hold on for their loved ones, and let go when they are left on their own for a time.
DeleteI'm so sorry for you loss. It's difficult to watch our parents age and suffer. I lost my dad in 2006 and I still think of him nearly every day. I hope as time goes on the happy memories of your dad will be more prominent. What a wonderful tribute to him.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Other Mary. I am sorry for your loss too. I actually don't dwell on my father's death on a daily basis, as when it happened, it was a mercy because he had suffered for so long. Anniversaries such as birthdays tend to bring this sort of emotion out for me.
DeleteCondolences! The birthdays are the hardest to bear.
ReplyDeleteI find it's my dad's birthday and the winter holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. My dad came off as a bit of a curmudgeon, but he really liked the family gatherings.
DeleteThank you for commenting, on behalf of Lily.
You have managed to wrap up a whole life in these 55 words--the way luck runs, how we win and how we lose, all very human. Thanks so much for participating, Lily.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Hedgewitch, on behalf of Lily. I know she will appreciate your words.
DeleteIsn't that something, how a car crash can be walked away from, but one blocked blood vessel changes everything. What a bittersweet poem you've written here.
ReplyDeleteI wonder....could we use that badge as our official badge for Flash 55 at Toads? The old badge doesn't really work anymore, as it is no longer on Friday. Please let me know if we can use yours going forward. I love it!
You absolutely can, and you made Lily's day--thank you! :-)
DeleteShe's at work and I know a bad day is going much better for her now, which makes my day too.
Sweet! Thank you so much, and I'm glad if it made her smile. We will start using the badge with the very next 55, the first weekend in July at Toads! We really needed a new one and this one is perfecto. :-)
Deletea fine tribute ~
ReplyDeleteThank you, on behalf of Lily. :-)
DeleteNo matter how old we are .. they are ... it is gut-wrenching to lose our parents. Love that turquoise blue Chevy!
ReplyDeleteThey sure don't make 'em like that any more, do they?
DeleteMy dad was 79 when he died of a heart attack. Even though we'd had our differences, he was a good man. My brother and I were devastated.
Thanks for visiting, on behalf of Lily. :-)
I find it especially difficult when they that were so strong and lucky are suddenly the opposite. You make that clear in this understated tale of grief.
ReplyDeleteYeah, Lady Luck can't be on our side all the time. I fear having a stroke. Cardiovascular disease runs in my family. I mind my blood pressure and so far, my heart is in good shape. (Crosses fingers.)
DeleteThanks for visiting, on behalf of Lily.
The strokes that life deliver.. after a while there is one to many. So sad.. but also a sense of a dark destiny..
ReplyDeleteSo true, Björn. That dark destiny awaits us all eventually, although the manner in which we meet it differs.
DeleteThank you for your visit, on behalf of Lily.
Thank you all for commenting. I know Lily really appreciates it. She's had a rough few days. But time and tide and especially work care not about anyone's sorrows. She has my admiration for toughing it out!
ReplyDeleteMy father died on July 8 2012 of a heart attack. The birthday anniversaries are difficult indeed.
I am truly sorry for the pain of your loss.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Vanessa, on behalf of Lily. :-)
Delete