To my Father

[crwmike 0]

The son of immigrant parents from a country that no longer exists, my father grew up in street gangs in south Philly. He left school in the fifth grade and spoke with an accent that was a mixture of Slovak and south Philly.

He married a woman from the rural south and that's where we grew up. I was ashamed of him. With his gruff manner and strange accent, (he said things like 'youse guys' when the rest of the world said y'all), he was different from everyone else. I was ashamed to bring friends to our house. When he failed in business and took a job as the night watchman on a fishing resort, I was even more ashamed.

As an adult, I moved to another state. I shamed myself ...committed crimes, went to jail. At any rate, I served my time, got out and was determined to be a good man. I moved to another state, took what work I could get and eventually entered nursing school.

I was in my last month of school when my father called me. We talked about inconsequential stuff and as we were finishing, I said, "Dad, I wish things had been different, but I want you to know that I love you".

Later that week, I was at Cedars Hospital, when they called me off the floor for a phone call. My father had gone out to play golf that morning, finished the 18th hole, sat down and died.

I went home for the funeral. During that time, I found out that the rest of my family had blown me off when I went to jail ...all but Dad. He stood against the rest of the family and insisted "Mike's going to be a good man. Don't give up on him."

I've tried to be a good man, Dad. More than twenty years later, torn, scarred and pretty much used up, I still try to be a good man.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you are waiting to say something to someone you care about, say it now ...you may never have another chance. Life is short and uncertain ...do it now!

I love you Dad.

Michael

[kai2k1 0]

Nice story bro.

I lost my mom in 1999, not a day goes by that i dont wish i had her back.

There's no truer sense of flying than sky diving," Scott Cowan

[AirMail 0]

My father and were not really close when I was a young adult, but as I matured things got much better. He was a fighter pilot in WWII and very proud of his wartime accomplishments. He had a couple of planes shot out from under him and had to bail out. Today I have a piece of his silk canopy in my jumpsuit pocket and he goes with me every time I jump. It's quite comforting knowing he's with me.

P-

--
It's never too late to have a happy childhood.
Postal Rodriguez, Muff 3342

[n2skdvn 0]

The last time i saw my father alive was when he watched my jump from a plane at the dz in 97. i gave him a hug as he left back to florida. six months later he was dead of a heart attack. but i remember his words ..."I'm proud of you son.. you are doing what you want to do in life." I'll always remember those words. he never strove to be famous or rich but do do what he wanted and be happy. witch is the only thing i strive to be in life happy with my self. and not strive to live to be what some one wants me to be.

adventure is not a goal but a journey and i hope my adventure never ends.

[ACMESkydiver 0]

I'm glad you made your peace with your dad, before and after his passing.

I believe I can say that luckily I have no lingering animosity towards any of the people that I love, and if it's God's will that anyone be taken, or that I be called home, they know how much I love them.

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[flygirl03 0]

thanks for sharing your story.
your father is somewhere,watching over you with a big, proud smile on his face.you Are a good man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
earthbound misfit