Always

Peach says

A solitary son

No sisters

No brothers

Him and his parents

Thank God for cousins

He had so much heart

Too much to be alone

Paid his way from 10 years old

Learned how to defend himself through grit and necessity

All his life before his wife, God was preparing him for his job

There would be a woman, young, broken and beautiful who needed him and his love and his patience

Together they would beat the odds and make a life and build a family

They would together discover a stained glass faith, with solemn and steadfast prayer as it’s heartbeat

He was fiercely loyal and tenderly kind

Always forgiving

Always loving

Always kind

He once had a red corvette

Boy, was he fine in that ride!

You never had to wonder where he was

Or what he was doing

He was an open book

And a steady hand

Just a glance and you were corrected, as he gently tugged on his mustache

He was generous and frugal all at the same time

He was old school in every way and we are richer for it

As the years rolled by the world grew alarming

He wanted better for his family but knew he couldn’t stop it

So he prayed

Often three times a day

For the world, for his family, for the Church

He’d forget to eat

But never forget the coffee

His loving nature and nurturing ability caused a crowded, beautiful menagerie of a garden in the back yard. Two green thumbs. Something he inherited from his father

Without him the family cannot be the same

Of course

His was the heart that pumped the blood that fed our hearts

Now we must carry on, each with the parts of him we got

Be steady

Be kind

Pray

Love and forgive

We love, we pray, we endeavor to live in a way that honors him

He couldn’t stay another day

It was time for his reward

We understood the need to go, we do not begrudge the much earned rest

We just wish we could have him for a visit, one more time

One more hug, one more twinkling of an eye, one more slow smile, one more talk, one more walk about the yard

When it’s my turn to come, Daddy O, I hope you put the coffee on for me

It’ll be awhile

A lot left to do