Nine Years Ago Today

I honored a request of my dad made to me two days earlier to pull the plug on him when he took a turn for the worse. He had leukemia and knew he had but days to live. On Monday night he told me to keep my date with my wife, meet her at the Denver airport, and continue down to Telluride. Have a beer for me, he said. He didn't wake up in the morning when I left.

Two days later I'm in Town Park Campground listening to a band playing Ripple, surrounded by good friends. I stepped aside, called Hospice up in Denver, and inquired as to his status. Is he still there? I asked the nurse. In my opinion, he left yesterday, she replied. So if I ask you to, will you give him some morphine and pull the plug? I'd be happy to, she said. The tone of her voice told me it was the right think to do and the right time to do it. 

That night I went up the mountain to hear Yonder Mountain do their kickoff show (6/18/2008 was a Wednesday). It was beyond therapeutic. It was fun! And I had a beer for my dad, and about 10 for me.

Father's Day has been tough for me ever since...at least until I remind myself that I'm now Dad and Grandpa wrapped up into one.

I think I'll have a beer for my dad, then one for me, then a couple more for all the other great dads out there...