Even though I have known for 6 1/2 years that the time was coming and even though I knew my Daddy was living on borrowed time, it still didn’t make Thursday, September 8, 2011 @ 3:25 p.m. any easier.  I will never forget the moment, the moment that my Daddy took his last breath on this earth.

Daddy was diagnosed with a liver disease, due to complications from diabetes and the medications he had taken for over 30 years to fight the dreaded disease.  They gave him 6 to 8 months of life then.  This disease acted alot like cerrohsis of the liver but I hated to tell people thats what it was because I didn’t want people thinking he was a drinker.  He wasn’t.  So to save alot of explaining, I just said he had liver cancer, it just made things easier.  I have never in my life seen anyone fight such a valiant fight as he did.  When they were testing Daddy to be put on the transplant list here in San Antonio 6 years ago, they found that he needed open heart surgery immediately and he had a quadruple bypass the very next day.  Then a spot was found on his right kidney that was cancer and they removed his right kidney.  I could on and on with similar stories,  but there were so many things that happened.  Finally the day came and the Transplant Center called and told Daddy they had a liver that matched his and to be there within 24 hours to receive his new liver.  Daddy turned it down and told them to give it to someone younger, someone with more life in them, that he would fight this fight with God’s help and his Family by his side, and thats just what he did.

I’m gonna miss so many things about Daddy.  I’m going to miss him calling me and griping about George Bush, even though it made me mad when he did it!  I’m going to miss him calling me and telling me some random story about how cute one of his grandkids are or how his great-granddaughter is the cutest of them all!  I’m going to miss him giving me advise,  even if I thought I didn’t need it.  I’m going to miss Daddy telling me where he was headed next to play in his band or where the next football game was he was headed to.  I’m going to miss many, many things with Daddy, but most of all, I’m just going to miss HIM.

I can remember Daddy teaching me how to dance while I stood on his boots and I can remember getting in front of him while he would be watching the news at night when I was in school and showing him all my cheers.  I can remember Daddy teaching me to drive a standard shift pickup while sitting on a phonebook at the ate of 11.  I can remember hauling hay with Daddy and getting to drive the tractor all by myself at 12.  I remember every single year on my birthday that Daddy would take me coon hunting with his dogs because that was my favorite thing to do with him!

I’m thankful for the memories, they will last me my lifetime.  I’m so thankful we made memories and I have lots of pictures!  Until I see you again one day Daddy, I love you…..Chanda