Thankful - Day 16: My Daddy

Happy Birthday in Heaven, Daddy!

 

 

 

I am so thankful that out of all the dad's in the world, I got you! You will always be my Daddy.

I miss you every day. I think about you a lot and still can't believe that you're gone. Sometimes, I feel like everything is normal. That I'm just living here in Omaha and you're back at home with Mommy, working and preparing for the next basketball practice. It doesn't take long, though, for me to remember the way things really are now. But no matter what, I will always be thankful for the 25 years that I got to spend with you.

 

I will always be thankful for you - for how you taught me how to be goofy and just totally off-the-wall sometimes. I will be thankful that you taught me how to properly clean my ice cream bowls by licking them out and I will be thankful that you taught me how to watch 3 different television shows at the same time, all on the same TV. I will be thankful that you taught me how to be a hard worker, to not be a pansy  You were always such a hard worker! You easily were the best, most devoted basketball coach, a great "pig guy", a great "cow and fence guy", and a great dad, husband, son, brother, and friend. Thank you for teaching me how to think of others, especially mommy. You were always there to tell us kids to look out for her and help her out around the house. 

 

Thank you for making my senior year of basketball, the best one I could have ever dreamed of. Although, I realize now, that I probably talked back to you a little too much (Sorry for that!), you showed me what it was like to really be devoted to something and I got a front row seat to see exactly how that great basketball-mind of yours worked and how many hours actually went into making the winning teams that you had! I will never forget all the late nights we spent watching game film and taking stats after games and all the times we'd watch one play 6 different times and in slow motion so you could show me what you wanted me to see and learn from it. I'm sure that you're up in Heaven putting together another winning team!

 

Thank you for showing me how to be a good child. You were the best son to Grandma and Grandpa and were really a great son-in-law to Grandma and Grandpa Jons. You were always willing to help them out whenever they needed it and always tried to get us kids to be respectful to them because they deserve it! I promise that I will do my best to be the best daughter and daughter-in-law that I can be, and someday I hope I can set a great example for my children. I can't wait to tell them all about you and all that you taught me!

 

It really is true that you don't know how good you have something until it's gone. There are so many things I wish I would have said to you while you were still here. Things I wish I would have learned from you and experienced with you. I know now, though, that you are looking down on us from Heaven. You hear what I'm saying and know how much I love you and how much you mean to me. I look forward to the day that we are all reunited again, but until then I promise to do my best to make you proud! I won't always get it right, but I will always try my hardest!

 

I'm certain you're having a grand celebration up there today!

(I hope they have cake like Grandma Kock's in Heaven!)

 

Thank you for being the best dad!

I love you and miss you every day!