Six years ago, today, my beloved Dad passed away. Before he died, he had me promise that I would transcribe the life-history that he had written. I started doing that earlier this month. It's been a great way to reconnect with the man who has been one of the most vital influences in my life.
Growing up, it seemed like there was nothing Dad couldn't do. From his life history, I discovered that is a trait he shared with his own dad. Mostly, I remember Dad as an Air Force Officer. He was all about duty, honor, integrity, and serving God & his country. He also LOVED to fly. One of his favorite poems was "High Flight". We had that printed on his funeral program, and added one line to the end..."Fly Away, Be Free!!" (family joke)
Recently my sister, Caline, posted a poem called "I Flew". We both agreed that Dad would have loved it. So, in memory of my awesome Daddy, who is now flying closer to God than he ever did in this life, here it is...
When the last checklist is run
And the bag drag is over,
I will remise of the days I once knew.
I will not remember the 3 a.m. alerts,
But only that I flew.
I will not remember the crew rest in the tents,
Nor recall how cold the arctic winds blew,
And I’ll not try to remember the times I got sick,
But only that I flew.
I will never forget when nature became angry
And challenged my intrepid crew,
And I’ll always remember the fear that I felt
And the pride in knowing that I flew!
I will remember the sights my mortal eyes have seen
Colored by multitudes of hues.
Those beautiful lights on cold winter nights
Seen only by those who flew!
God was extremely good to me
And let me near His face.
He saw my crew through war and peace
And blessed us with His grace.
So when I stand at St. Peter’s gate
And tell him that I’m new,
I know he’ll smile and welcome me
Because he knows
I FLEW!
Fly Away...Be Free...
(I love you, Dad!)
