Dad

These are the words I shared at my Dad’s funeral.

Dad
June 8, 2010

On behalf of us kids, our Mother and the rest of our family, we want to thank you again for being here today to help us celebrate the life of our Dad. I started to say to help us remember, but one thing has been proven over the past few days, Dad will always be remembered.

It goes without saying that I stand here sad today, sad because my Dad is no longer here, but also sad because we didn’t get to say goodbye.  Even as I say this, I know this is exactly how he would have wanted it. We never said goodbye when we talked or saw each other, it was always “see you next time”.

As you have heard from my brother, brother-in-law and sisters, our Dad was a very proud man. He was proud of a lot of things in his life, but we all knew that he was most proud of us.  We never wondered if this was true because Dad made sure it was said. In fact, just recently I rec’d an email from Dad letting me know how proud he was of me.  I simply replied with “I am never too old to here that”.

Dad, we probably didn’t say it often enough, but we were always so proud of you too.

We also knew that he loved us, again we never wondered, because he would always tell us. He found a way to love us each uniquely and loved us each equally.  Although there is some debate that he may have loved Jake a little more than the rest of us.

Dad, there is no doubt that you knew that we loved you, because we said it every time we saw you or talked to you.

Although we are wrestling with why you had to die now, I believe that you more than any of us understood why you had to die. Regardless of the many emotions we will go through in the days and weeks ahead of us, I know that if you were here, you would simply remind us that you died because we live in a broken world. You would remind us that God didn’t do this to you, but this is just what happens when mortal beings live in a sin-ridden world.  Ever since the fall of man and sin entered this world, things have been broken, there has been sickness and disease and people die. You would also remind us that the only thing that can overcome this brokenness is the love and grace of Jesus Christ. You would tell us that it is only through the blood of Jesus Christ and the price that he paid on the cross that restores this brokenness and gives each of us hope for a new day full of endless possibilities.

My Dad was able to love others because of the love of Jesus that resided in his heart.

When I was a kid you used to call me “stud” and although that really needs no explanation, I know you gave me that special nickname because you wanted me to feel bigger than I was and to know that I was important to you.  For anyone who ever knew you, that’s exactly how you developed relationships. You made people feel bigger than they were and you made everyone feel important.

You spent your whole life collecting experiences and memories because you knew that is what mattered in life more than collecting material possessions.

It is no surprise to me that you died early in the morning. It was always you favorite time of day and I will always cherish the early mornings that we spent together. You taught all of us to approach each day with the hope and wonder of a child because each day presented new possibilities. When you awoke on June 4, 2010, as you sat in chair putting on your running shoes there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that you were excited about what the day would bring. And after you ran your last mile on this earth and entered the gates of heaven. I know you were running with a smile on your face because you knew this day was going to bring something very special.

There is so much more that can be said, but if you asked me if that is all that I want to say right now, I would say yes, that’s pretty it.

We love you and will always remember you.

Dad, I am so proud of you, you did really good.

I love you and I will see you next time.

[If you would like to read my siblings comments, please see their blog sites at the bottom of this page.]

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