THIRTY

1985
Friends/Family:
Mom and Dad, Brother's family, Deluxe friends

My dad, a Mason, would go to Lodge and the regular routine was to go for coffee afterwards. On this particular night he said "no thanks" and started for home. He was less than a mile away but he never made it. They found him twenty miles away right after he had hit a house. My dad is a diabetic and he had an insulin/sugar reaction which is similar to being very drunk. He lost all sense of direction and reason. Along the way, witnesses said he blew through stop lights, ran a car off the road, hit a mailbox and finally crashed into a house. It is a miracle he survived but also that no one was killed or hurt in his path. This was very disturbing for the whole family. We all came home and it was then that my dad decided he would no longer drive and gave up his license. It was sad and it robbed him of his dignity but it was so brave for him to admit it was time. Life in my parent's home changed but it was for the good of all. We all said "I love you" a bit more from then on.

This picture is from a United Way campaign where Jim F. and I were on the committee as Co- Chairs. This particular year it was a Hawaiian theme as told by our dress. I ran a couple of these campaigns and it was hard work but successful in raising money for the cause.



This song is not from this era but it is how I felt when all this happened to my dad. I am in the process of creating a private tribute to my dad using this song. As I grow older and see all the things that have passed with words unspoken, I long to say as much as I can to as many people who need to hear it.



In history, this happened: 1985
http://www.infoplease.com/year/1985.html