A year later and it feels like yesterday.
It was one year ago right now that I was sleeping on the floor at St Vincent’s 3rd floor heart wing in a blistering cold Erie wishing that what I knew was real wasn’t happening. At 7:30ish the morning of the 6th my father passed away after a massive heart attack the day before and I lost my best friend. He was outside for 3 hours making sure that the sidewalks and driveways on his block were plowed/shoveled because “the borough sure as hell wont.” He would plow paths in the grass just so the mailman would be able to walk. he was always thinking about others.
I’m finding it hard to believe it’s been a year already. I can still recall every event of that day. My last phone call in the morning and the last time I saw him over Thanksgiving. I can still feel his embrace when we left to head back to Pittsburgh. I can hear him telling me how to prep the car for winter and that gas is too goddamn expensive.
So here I am a year later and I still talk to him in my own way. I have his picture in just about every room in my house. When something odd happens we chuckle and say “Dad did it” and I can’t go past a roll of duct tape without grinning. I was fortunate enough to find a mini cassette of him talking into a handheld recorder while talking to me that I will always cherish along with his military dogtag.
Still though, a year later I find it hard to believe that I will never get to go to another Pirates home opener and talk about the days playing in Wesleyville/Harborcreek. Now it’s my turn to pick up the reigns and finish the family tree the 2 of us started. It’s my turn to keep the traditions going and become the person he knew I would be.
I miss you dad and I have a fresh bag of peanuts 
