I miss my dad

It's been a year today since my dad passed away. I miss my dad.
Today is Saturday and on Saturdays I always took him out the Shari's for lunch, a pancake, well done, two strips of bacon and sometimes an egg over easy. There was almost always someone there he would see and with a disability of some sort and mention how sad that was. Never mind the fact that he could barely walk himself at that point.
From Shari's we would always head to Wal-Mart to shop. It had to be Wal-Mart because their store brand nicotine gum was so much better than Nicorette. He may have kicked his addiction to cigarettes but never to the gum. At Wal-Mart he would always interact with the little kids because they were so precious to him. I wondered what the parents thought but always, they understood this generational connection.
I'm so glad I had these Saturdays with my dad. I wish he were still here. I know the Saturday conversations would be especially lively during this politically charged time. He never lost his ability to discuss current events and I have to think that I could have gotten him to see the light in this election to vote for change in America. But either way, I would have welcomed the talk.
I am glad he did not have to witness the demise of his beloved Mariners.
I wish he could see his newest great-grandson, Haywood, now 6 months old and so beautiful, but I am ever so grateful that he knew of his coming prior to passing away. Never has life's cycle been so poignant, life and death all at once, somehow connected.
Today will be happy, sad, difficult but necessary. I will get together with my brothers and sister. We will remember, cry, laugh, and yes, drink margueritas, in remembrance of a life that was so full, and so dedicated to us.
While his body gave up on him, my dad never gave up on life and was with us to the end and beyond. I know he will be smiling today, holding Mom's hand and saying "Look honey, look at our kids. Aren't they great!"