***Tomorrow will mark the 10th anniversary of my dad's death. I miss him terribly. I'm sure that I can speak for the entire family that this man was one of a kind. He would have been 102 years old this year. This man, whom we called "daddy" was highly respected by us all. His legacy will always remain that of being there for each of his children, and his beloved wife, our mother, Hester Swarn. What a blessing it was to have him as my daddy. As our father. Rest on daddy. We look to see you again when Jesus returns. You are missed....You are still greatly loved!***
(I'm sharing this blog post from Father's Day, 2014)
From the time that I was old enough to remember I knew what it was like to be loved. Growing up poor and living in the projects was not enough to convince me that there wasn't someone who truly loved me. God gave me everything when He gave me daddy. I never called him father, it was always just daddy. Looking at his picture brings back so many memories. It also brings the tears. I miss him terribly. He was a man of very few words. I didn't hear daddy raise his voice very much. His demeanor was that of a gentle and quiet spirit. He had the biggest heart of anyone that I knew. He loved his kids unconditionally. Though he never possessed much in this life, he gave all that he had for his family. He worked hard for us to keep food on the table. He was home with us every night. Though he had his demons (like all of us) he remained committed to his wife and family. What he earned he brought it home to his family to see that we had clothes, food, and a roof over our heads. I suspect many would growl at such humble beginnings, but the truth of the matter is we didn't have much growing up. But we had good parents. God gave us a good mama. And God gave us daddy.
Coming home from school each day daddy had dinner prepared. Everyday there was something on the table. The house was always cleaned. Mama worked so hard in the dry cleaning factories and daddy worked a job at Robbins AFB but was always there to care for the family. Growing up I can't remember one day without having both my parents in my life. Providing for a family of twelve couldn't have come easy for them. I can honestly say that I never felt neglected or loved any less because there were so many of us. One of the greatest blessings that I ever received was having the love and support of both my parents.
Today being Father's Day and it's been seven years since my daddy has been gone. I have missed him so much. My life seemed really empty after he passed. I grew up somewhat I think. For all of my life there was not a day that daddy wasn't a part of it. I delighted in spending time with both my parents. They were never far away from me. So you can imagine the loneliness that I went through when God called him home. I felt that a part of me was missing. The day he died I just sat there and cradled his still warm body in my arms. I wept bitterly and wanted to awaken him from sleep. I couldn't imagine my life being the same after his death. But, then I recalled how he'd lived. For someone so small in statue he was just a giant among men. I can't remember daddy ever doing anything but loving his family and providing for us.
I can't begin to imagine what my life would have been like if it wasn't for my daddy. I have so many memories that even a lifetime couldn't capture them all. I feel so blessed to have had him in my life. I could have been born to anyone else, but God chose daddy. God Gave Me Daddy.....and I shall be eternally grateful. Rest In God Daddy! There shall never pass another man this way quite like you!
