For My Daddy

Another Eulogy for my Dad

Yesterday being Father's Day, I tried to keep it in the back of my mind, even though I had a dream of my dad two nights prior. As time goes by without him present, his love remains, along with many memories which keep him alive. I felt like I didn't write a long enough eulogy. I kept it short, sweet and to the point. I did however sing "Stand by me" for him though. John Lennon (along with the other Beetles members and other music artists) were his favorite, so I had picked a song he liked and sang it more in the tune of Ben E. King. I wanted to speak more on the type of man and father he was. For starters, he gave tough love and was at times hard to be around. But at the end of the day, I know that my brother Matt and I meant more to him than anything else in his life and that really means a lot to me. When I left to live over 200 miles away from him, he still made sure to call me often and attended my high school graduation from Fresno High. He didn't have much, but he made sure to give me everything I needed to the best of his ability- even when we couldn't see eye to eye. As a kid, he would take me to the zoo and on road trips to the snowy mountains for sight-seeing. We went to a shooting range together and he taught me the proper way to fire a hand gun at a target, even tho I don't think I got a single bullseye. He would take me to Calvary Chapel in Diamond Bar. He really loved Jesus and our Pastor Raul Ries who has a wonderful story of transformation. He let me have my first sip of wine (only a SIP lol). He would often take me to a restaurant he used to manage and also to my Uncle Carl's sister-restaurant. He won me so many stuffed animals from a claw machine at my uncle's restaurant, most of them being baseball bears. He loved the Dodgers. I hope I still have one of those bears left in storage. When loved ones passed away, he was there to comfort me and give me advice, even if I was hardheaded and didn't want to hear it. He loved action movies like IRobot and the Men In Black Series. His final occupation was as a Security Gaurd at Santa Anita Horse Track. Many days I put my apron on when I worked at Starbucks, I remembered my dad getting ready for work and I felt a lot like him, which made me so proud to be his daughter. I have so many memories of him blasting his music in his white Chevy. Some of our favorite artists to listen to together were The Eagels, The Beetles, Sam Cooke, Janis Joplin, Led Zepplin, and Guns And Roses. Grieving is strange in that you have all this love for the one you lost with no where for it to go. I know my dad is now watching over me and our family. I couldn't ask for another dad. I hope that you will never take the ones you love for granted. You don't want to regret having not spent enough time together with a parent as I have done. Love on them while they are still here. Blessings. 💖