Happy Birthday Daddy!

Hi Daddy,

It's Hazel and today, February 18, 2009 you would be turning 76 years old . I have in my mind that in Heaven, we get to be the age that was our favorite. I have no scripture or fact to base that on but you know better than anyone that would not stop me from thinking it. Rewind back to all the times you asked me "What were you thinking?" I wonder what year you would choose to be your favorite age. I know this birthday of yours in 1998, your last earthly birthday was pretty awesome. I can't remember if we ate at your house or if Mama made us each a sack lunch because it was "Game Day" and we had to be sitting in our seats at least an hour before Drew and the Commodores started to warm up. We all have on our various forms of black and gold and our "Drew Crew" buttons. The "Madison Clampettes" I mean Clines, would cram into the Buick with you as our driver and head to the interstate. As on cue, someone in the car, usually Mama would ask if you had the tickets, and up until you could no longer speak, you would say "What tickets"? We would all bust out laughing like this scenario had never been played out. When you could not speak it anymore, you would mouth it and Patrick would say it for you.

I hope that you still get to grill your famous meals for birthdays.

I hope you get to play golf whenever you want to and that you can hit the ball for miles!This is the way that I like to think you are now. You are sitting on the beach with a nice umbrella , a cold drink and a great view so that you can see us. Again, nothing factual to base this idea on but just let me go with OK?

No traces of numerous surgeries, rounds of chemotherapy or radiation burn. Oh Daddy I miss you so much. I still pull out your brief case (the fancy leather one that Ray got you that you were so proud of) about once a week and look at all the things you carried in it every day. The essential things that you needed all the time with you. The family pictures that you kept in the folder. The big envelope with all the box scores about Drew, the 8x10 picture of Corinne as the Prep Queen , (?) , the signed program from Ron Mercer, magazines showing the latest men's shoe styles, the folder with all the statistics comparing utility bills by month , by year all in your most perfect penmanship. I do the very same thing now. You taught me so many life lessons and I hope that I am passing on to Patrick. Each day when I wake up, when it is so hard to move or to stand I can hear you say "suck it up" and that is what I do.

Life does go on but I wish so much that you were here to be in the middle of this family united and multiplying. The little ones bring so much joy and laughter into our life. I hope that you love Brad and know that I did find "a good one". He takes such good care of me and he loves me so much and I love him right back.

Happy Birthday Daddy, I love you and I can't wait to see you!