Below is the memorial speech I read at the funeral service for Dad. I am sharing this with you so that you will have a hint of the remarkable person that he was.
Blessings to you,
Stephen
Dad’s Memorial:
We mourn the passing of a very strong, proud man who walked through profound life challenges, and who handled them probably much better than many people in the same situations ever could have.
The theme that I wish to linger with is that of his unconditional love.
I experienced much unconditional love with Dad, beginning very early childhood. I still have fond memories of his taking (brother) David and myself to see the fireworks on July 4th celebrations in Washington PA.
We sat on the hood of the car, so close to the rockets that you can feel the car vibrate and practically hear your ears ringing and all along, he was there by our sides, sharing the human made fury and power with us.
He also would jump in the swimming pool with me and hold me around the waist to keep me afloat when we went swimming and this felt quite grounding and reassuring to me.
He literally stood by my side and assisted a terrified me as I learned how to ride a two wheeler bike for the first time and he helped me get over my terror so that within a year, I was swooping down our hill at 30 MPH-loving every second of it.
His unconditional love manifested itself powerfully during my early adulthood as well, when he sat respectfully with me as I was pondering an ultimate divorce with my first wife.
A couple decades later, he gave me a key to get out of a prison of debt when after years of struggling endlessly to pay off my student loans, out of the blue he told me he was tired of seeing me struggle and would pay off the balance for me.
A few years later, after I had hungered for five years to have a computer for writing a book, he surprised me with a phone call to look for a package in front of my apartment. Much to my awe, it was a complete computer system.
In my quest to move from Vermont to California, he added funds so that I might have crucial money to assist with the move – and again deliver myself from a life that felt like prison.
And last year, after I struggled with almost non-stop breakdowns and repairs on my old car, he assisted me in manifesting a new, high integrity car, another bold act of unconditional love.
When he gave in these ways, it was pure love with no strings attached.
As an adult I learned that beneath a sometimes hard façade was a very tender and caring heart, and as I matured within my own awareness, the relationship between my Dad and myself grew ever deeper, positive, and filled with mutual gratitude.
Our last time together was filled with much laughter, humor, lightness and honoring of our love for each other, and I will hold this as well as other memories dear in my heart.
I am blessed that he welcomed my wife Dorothy in to our family circle, and that she felt very welcomed as my partner– which meant a lot to both of us.
It’s with sadness that I acknowledge that he will not be here with us in physical form anymore, but I also feel happy to know that he truly is in a better place now and that the terrible physical challenges that he so bravely faced are now a thing of the past.
Thank you, Dad for the blessings that you brought to all of us.
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