Dad

My dad was a very wonderful man. He was the best father anyone could have. On May 7th he passed suddenly from this earth. It was so unexpected for me. I was at work at the time when my mom broke the news to me. Just the night before Terrill and I talked with him and asked him about how his surgery had went and we both got to tell him we loved him. One thing he said to me was that he couldn't wait for me to come into his office and sit down next to him so we could just talk. Oh how I long for a chance to do that one last time.

On May 6th he went in for surgery on his neck. The surgery went well, he seemed to be doing fine. Then in the middle of the night he was having a lot of trouble breathing and his throat swelled shut and then his heart stopped. They tried to re-vive him for 40 minutes but had no luck.

Yes, this was tragic. But I don't want to dwell on the sadness for two long. There has been blessings that have come from this event. More than anything, I know that he still lives. Heavenly Father has a plan for him and for each of us. My dad is doing a great work on the other side and that I am sure. This experience has put an eternal perspective on my life. Here are somethings I have learned and am grateful for.

• Dad loved his family very much. He never judged me for my actions, he saw me for who I could become.
  
• Dad taught me to get to the heart of what really matters...our conversations weren't surface level. They were about the life and real issues that came up. I am so grateful for that.
  
• Dad wrote me letters, he would tell me how much he loved me and how proud he was of me. He used to say that even if I strayed from the gospel and make wrong choices, he would love me anyways.
• Dad loved my mom. He would always tell us that mom was so beautiful and the was the luckiest man to have her as his wife.
  
• Some of my favorite memories with my Dad were going dates with him, walking on the beach, talking, watching the 49ers play and him visiting Terrill and I in our little apartment.
  
• This life is one short piece in the God's eternal plan for us...so I need to live my life the best I can to return to heavenly father again and be re-united with my Dad.
• Don't sweat the small stuff. What really matters are the people around you and how you treat them. Life is too short to sweat the stuff that doesn't really matter.
• Since my Dads passing I have gotten a lot closer to my family.
• The Lord has a plan for each of us. He knows us and will take care of us in any situation we may be in.
• The gospel is true. The plan of salvation is true. God lives and has a plan for us all..

I will always cherish the times I had with my dad. I miss him terribly, but am so grateful for the gospel to know that I will see him once again. He was a wonderful man and I love him so much!