Thank you all so much. I have almost 39 years of good memories, there were a lot of hard times, but we sorted those out 15 years ago. Dad once told me that he felt lucky to have two great kids and that we were not only his kids, but his best friends, too. There is pain now, but I know the pain will fade in time, leaving the love, laughter, and precious memories behind.

Many of my relatives brought old family pictures to the get-together yesterday. There is something comforting about going through old photographs and seeing my dad growing up, his graduation picture from high school, his graduation picture from basic training, and all the snapshots from family gatherings, Christmases, and photos of him with my nieces and nephews and young cousins acting like a big kid himself.

As for the get-together, one cousin brought a guitar and someone else brought a fiddle. There were reels and jigs, bluegrass and country, some Johnny Cash, some old timey stuff and some of my cousins singing spirituals in harmony. Dad would have loved it. Its easy to see where I got my love for music from.