I got a phone call this afternoon around 1:00 that my dad was at St. Elizabeth South after being admitted Wednesday night with severe abdmoniable pain. It was diagnosed as "acute pancreatitis". I was incredibly frightened for about four hours until I was given the prognosis which seems to be optimistic. In the meantime I came up with this, love you Dad.

Dad,


    I have no idea where to start, so I’ll start with this – I cried today. I don’t cry. Ever. But today I cried because not only was I was scared for your well being, but rather I was scared that something might happen and I might not get the chance to say what I’m about to say.

   To put it simply – THANK YOU. For everything. I can’t possibly put into words what you mean to me. I have absolutely no idea where I would be had you not taken me in, nor do I want to consider the alternatives. You gave me a life I would never have had otherwise, and I am incredibly appreciative.

   You were, are, and always will be Superman to me. From my earliest memories you’ve always been the most consistent element in my life, always striving for a better life for all of us. The sacrifices you’ve made can’t be understated, please know that as a father I now fully understand. Again, thank you.

   Everything I am is a direct result of the hard work you put in so many years ago. I treat people with respect (regardless of "demographic", an important factor considering where we lived) when they deserve it and admonish them when they don’t. I work hard as a matter of principle, and I love my family more than life itself. You encouraged an open minded sense of learning which has benefited me greatly over the years. There’s nothing I can’t learn. Nothing is impossible if I apply myself, and at the end of the day I’ll beat whatever obstacle I face without cutting corners. All of these traits are a reflection of what you taught me as a child. I have a leg up on nearly everyone I encounter in life because of this, thank you.

   I know I’ve not been the easiest person to understand or even deal with over the years, and I’m sorry for that. I’ve had a tendency to forge my own way without regard to others, creating strife for everyone who happens to be even remotely associated with me. At some point I found my way and while I haven’t exacted the original plan, I’m happy. I have a beautiful family, I pay the bills, and have more interesting stories than anyone I know. These things happen. For a long while, I had a hard time rationalizing the way my life turned out but recently I’ve come to the conclusion that I am what I am, and if what I am makes me happy, I’m doing okay. Upon further inspection of my memories, this is yet another of your lessons. Thank You.

I’ll leave you with this – my favorite adult memory is when you said to me, “I never worry about you Jeremy, I always knew you would be okay.” You have no idea how much this spoke to your character more than mine.

   

Love,
     Jeremy