My Dad was a gentle, basically happy person. He spent a lot of time with me as a little girl. He sang beautifully and his voice is what I most strongly still remember about him -- probably because the geographic distance between us made the phone our main means of communication. He took me to a local dairy where I got to try milking cows. We went horseback riding together. He got me a sailboat when I was 10 and a red Corvair convertible when I was 16. His parting words to me, throughout his life were, "Have fun." I was blessed. I'll miss him.

Comments

[Alexandra Ottaway]

I'm so sorry, Curlysalamander! Would you like to write about what happened to him?
May his memory live on in your heart. He sounds like a truly great dad to remind you to enjoy life. My dad also said it is a great pleasure to be alive.

[curlysalamander]

Thanks Zotta. For 83 and a half years he was a very healthy guy -- no chronic illness, heart problems, anything. Then he got a kind of anemia the doctor said is known as "old man's disease" among hematologists. After about six months of blood transfusions and efforts to reverse things, it killed him. He was the poster child for positive thinking and stayed hopeful throughout that time.

[Alexandra Ottaway]

Just read this. I'm glad he remained hopeful, and that you sound more or less positive, as well.