Written on 8-28-18.
I’m thankful for golf for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it gets me and keeps me writing. I haven’t wanted to write lately, and that’s because my father-in-law, Dale, died on Thursday, August 16th. It was a shock, and we’re still reeling and recovering. Belinda and I hugged and cried again just yesterday. We cried because I went to finish up the narration for the Red Cedar Gathering Company with Daniel and Anna, the job that Dale hired me to do. The first time I did that work ended up being the last time I got to see him alive. When I told Belinda how Anna exuded sadness and was obviously still struggling (understandably so), we both broke down. It’s so quiet there now. It’s just Anna and Daniel, the two introverts. The flamboyant, friendly, “Hello, Ramsey Realty!” Dale is no longer there.
Writing about it now is giving me a headache similar to the one that I felt the evening of the day he died. It’s been painful. He died of a heart attack, and he had just finished his lunch at Blake’s. We guess he blacked out after putting his car in reverse, because the car ended up in the ditch across the road, pointing up at the sky with the back of the car completely smashed and the back window knocked inside. Ten or so people came to help and/or watch. Adam, one of the cooks from Blake’s, climbed into the car through the back where the window was to help unbuckle him. The first responders were able to get his heart going again in the ambulance, but only faintly. The last-ditch effort of a pacemaker failed at the hospital.
I left the dentist right after my cleaning, completely avoiding my exam, and drove directly to the hospital, not in a really safe way. When your wife wants you right away, you get there right away. That’s when I found out he didn’t survive. That’s enough for now. I’ll catch up with more later.
I played golf today, though, and that’s why I’m writing. So, thank you, golf, for forcing the issue.
Until next time…
No comments:
Post a Comment