June 1st 2005 is a day, I kid you not, that changed my life forever. Four years ago I was a fifteen year-old girl with a sick father. And on that June 1st, the sickness took him. So now, I'm going to write about him because there's so much you don't know about my awesome dad.
As a boy and into his teen years, my dad was a trouble-maker. My dad was a handsome and popular boy who played many sports. He was the life of any party, and that continued all through the years. When he was 18, he signed up for the Navy and went away to Vietnam. My brave daddy fought in Vietnam while my mom was only 10.
In 1970, my daddy and his first wife, Dorothy had a daughter; my sister Michelle. Years later, there was a divorce and my dad went on to to meet a woman named Stacy. She gave birth to my sister, Lauren, whom I did not know until the age of eight I think. I am so grateful for my dad's past because it gave me two amazing sisters I'll cherish forever.
Then he met my mother, who was originally dating my dad's cousin. Weird, right? My mom and Tommy broke up, so then my brave daddy asked her out. Great aunt Mary then told my mom that she'd love to have her in the family. That is why my mom ultimately agreed to dating my father. Dating became marriage, and I came out of that.
The fifteen years with my daddy were full of jokes, songs, dances, breakfast dates, and "Doodle Bug" drives. I remember "family meetings" and "Butteritis". He supported me in everything I did and cared for me. He threatened to beat up the boys I liked, and always said, "No dating until after you're married!" We had our song. "Have I Told You Lately" by Rod Stewart. We were going to dance to that at my wedding. He was going to walk me down the isle and give me away. He was going to be there to see me graduate. He was going to be the sweetest grandfather to my children (Adventure Mraz, Salacious Crumb, and Thomasina Gumbo). He was going to take my husband golfing. He was going to be there for my baptism and my mission trips. He would be there for my heartbreaks. That's what kind of a father he was; a loving father.
In 2004, he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. They removed his esophagus and he was clear. He started going back to work at Crest Chevrolet and he continued golfing on weekends. When he went in for a checkup a year later, the disease was back. It was in his liver, and the doctor said there was nothing they could do about that. My mom picked me up from school that day. It was cold and cloudy, and she told me in the car that he only had two months. She told me that he was crying and that he kept repeating, "My girls, my girls..." My mom, Michelle, Lauren, and I are his girls.
The two months they gave us was wrong. He only had two weeks from that point. I couldn't leave his side, but it was so hard to watch my strong dad be vulnerable and weak. The night before his passing was difficult. He was in pain, so a nurse came over to give him medicine. The medicine made him loopy and he ultimately fell asleep in his large, blue La-Z Boy. I tried not to sleep, but the nurse told me to. I finally feel asleep on the couch that night. In the morning my mom got up and she said she'd get us donuts. I ordered a cherry donut like always and then she went to get my father's order...
"Katie!" my mom screamed. I ran to my dad's side and grabbed his hand to wake him up...
"No, no, no, no!" Not yet, daddy, please. But he was gone. His hand was cold and didn't respond to my grab. I then kissed him on the forehead for the last time. The rest is a blur...
I'm jealous that the Lord now has his jokes, songs, and dances. But I still have wonderful memories I hope to never forget. It is a huge compliment when people say, "You're so your father's daughter." I want to be strong like him. I was to be funny like him. I want to be the life of the party! I want to be as loving as him, and I want people to know him through me.
In loving memory of Michael James Egan. April 23, 1947 - June 1, 2005.
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