A tribute to the strongest man I knew...

I came across my dad's eulogy today.  It still brings me tears to read.

Thank you everyone for coming today in honor of my father.  About thirteen years ago, I was in this very room with him for my mother’s service.  Both my father and I were in shock and in a great deal of pain from her sudden loss.  Many people told us that everything happens for a reason; but, to be honest, I was angry and had a hard time believing that anything good could have come from something so awful.  Now, however, with time and distance, I can look back on it and realize that in taking my mom so early, God was giving me the two greatest gifts in my life:  the chance to meet my husband and the opportunity to build a close relationship with my father.  While there were numerous challenges during the past decade, I was also blessed with many wonderful memories that I will cherish forever, most notably my father walking me down the aisle at my wedding and our father-daughter dance.  However, it was the simple moments together for which I am most grateful, like how we would always stop at Chocolate World when he had an appointment in Hershey and then get lunch or dinner together; spend Christmases with our second family, the Bubbenmoyer’s; eat lunches at Old Country Buffet with my grandmother, Catherine; playing 500 Rummy; or just sit together watching TV. 
 
When he was diagnosed with cancer a few years ago, we knew there was a possibility he wouldn’t beat the odds.  However, because of his relatively good prognosis, I never allowed myself to think about losing him.  It was only recently, when he was in the ICU and the doctors told me “weeks to months” that I began to grasp the severity of the situation.  Even then, I still thought of “weeks to months” in abstract terms, as if his death was sometime down the road and not imminent because my brain wouldn’t accept that I was going to lose my dad, who still had so much left to contribute to the lives he touched.
 
My dad was the bravest person I will ever have known.  Until February 7th, he overcame every single obstacle that was ever thrown at him while maintaining his unique, yet positive, outlook on life.  He fought, I think, in part so that he could have more time here with me, even astounding the doctors with his recovery in the ICU when they thought for certain he wouldn’t make it through the night.  I believe in my heart that we were given that miracle so that we would the chance to spend more time together and say everything we wanted to say to each other and I will forever be grateful for that.  My dad left this earth and went home to my mom knowing that I loved him and he was the best daddy to me in the whole wide world.
 
I will forever love him and miss him.  He was truly one-of-a-kind and he gave me a wonderful parting gift: a new outlook on my own life.  I don’t know what is in store for me in the future, but I am certain that my dad will be looking down on and protecting me just as my mom has done every single day since her death.  How fortunate am I to get not one, but two guardian angels?
 
I just want to thank every single one of you here today for the support you have shown us.  It means more than I can ever express to you. 

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