April 6 1919 the best man to walk this Earth was born.
September 7 1999 Heaven welcomed home a truly amazing soul.
My life has had some pretty hard trials and problems thrown in my face but I am honored to know that my Daddy chose to love me. He could've turned his back on me just like my real father did when I was only two years old. But my Daddy (my Moms Dad) opened up his arms and heart for me. He became every meaning of the word Dad for me.
He helped raise me. He taught me important lessons and made me into the person I am today. He made me stand when I wanted to fall. He made me laugh when I was crying. And he taught me things can and will get better. He never taught me by sitting me down and telling me words, he taught me by living and doing all these things himself.
I know how to treat animals and how to take care of them. He showed me how. Daddy always said that all animals were sent here by God to help us. To remind us to be kind and that we are never alone in times of need.
He taught me to be brave. To stand and be proud of what I believe. He alone faced Hell many times, going to war and seeing things no one should have ever seen. But he knew he had to, he knew he had to protect his family and friends and country. Which he did.
His health wasn't the best in his last years and I can't even imagine how hard it was for him. But he always smiled and tried to look to the brighter side of things. I can remember going to his hospital room every day after school. Some days he was doing good but some days weren't the best. I can remember the family outside talking to the doctor while I sat on his lap. Before I could even start to worry about him he would give me missions. To sneak down to the 'Bar' and get us Popsicles. Red for him, green for me. Or candy. Always Milky Way bars. I would wait for my chance and go get our snacks and carefully eat them with him before we got caught.
Dad loved jokes and pranks. I think he was the worst in the family for doing stuff like that. When he wasn't in the hospital sometimes we would go to Brick Oven, our favorite place to eat. I can remember he had to order water or diet drinks because of his diabetes. I always got Pepsi or 7 up because he always told me Pepsi ran through my veins (he tried Pepsi for the first time during the war. He wrote home to my Grandma saying he had 'tasted heaven'). I would go to the bathroom after ordering and I would come back to an empty glass and Dad telling me that our waiter brought it like that. How odd.... It happened every time we went out, no matter what restaurant....Hmmmm.....
People used to ask me why I was such a picky eater, that I didn't like the best kinds of food. My answer? "Cuz Daddy says I don't like it. He always eats it for me so I don't have to! I love my Daddy!!"
We used to have a cherry tree in my back yard. It was huge and cherries always filled the lawn. I don't remember where my mom and grandma were but I can tell you Dad and I were always sitting on the corner of the deck. I would pick the cherries, open them to see if they had worms and if they didn't I would hand them to him. He would eat them and I would keep picking. We would sit there for hours on end. Just the two of us. He taught me that if you talked while a dragon fly buzzed around it would come to your face and stitch your mouth shut. I never talked in the back yard again!
He used to have an old tractor that we used to ride together before Sunday dinners. I would sit on his lap and drive in circles. My hands would be pitch black and we would laugh as I would run to mom screaming that my hands were frost bitten! And after dinner he would always put me and Elliott in the bucket and do the "Homemade Rollercoaster''. We would giggle all night long together.
He taught me fairy tales can come true. But just sitting wishing on a star wont do a thing. You have to go out and make your dreams come true.
He showed me the Princess in the mountains and how she always pointed me home if I ever got lost. And how to tell time by the sun and shadows. We would play in the apple trees where my childhood was spent when we weren't in the hospital with him.
He taught me that family always comes first. Over friends and work and health. Family, no matter how frustrating, is the most important thing in this life. I remember Grandparents day in Kindergarten. Mrs. Hilton sent home papers saying if you couldn't make it that day to please call and arrange a time to come so everyone could have their grandparents there. I knew Dad was in the hospital again and I knew, I understood that he couldn't come. I would just go after school and give him the necklace I made him. I knew Ed and Gloria would come though (Richard's parents that live about 2 blocks away from my house). I sat in my chair looking out over the back of the school just waiting. And before I really knew what I was doing I had bolted out the door and was running across the grass. There was my Daddy in his wheelchair being pushed along by mom and grandma. He made the doctors let him leave because family always comes first. Ed had decided to go golfing instead and Gloria ''couldn't come without Ed''.
We spent every Christmas at his house. I remember waking up at 4 in the morning and getting everyone up then going to help Dad get up, get dressed and in his wheelchair and then sitting in his chair in the front room. Grandma and I made breakfast for Dad and Baue (the family dog). Milk poured into a bowl with honey and torn up pieces of bread. Dad wouldn't eat his until Baue had her bowl too. Then they would eat while I opened my presents and fell asleep again on Dads lap.
My life was spent by his side and I don't regret a moment of it.
He was there at my baptism. July 31 1999. I could see he was fading but I made him promise that he had to walk me down the aisle at my wedding. With his promise I knew he would be ok and we would get through this just like we have the past few years.
September 7 1999 My mom picked me up from school and with the look on her face I knew what had happened. I went to the hospital for my Daddy for the last time. I cried for months and years on end.
Before he had passed he told me that when I ever missed him to look up for the clouds. He would be up there making them just for me and then the time would come and we would make clouds together for the rest of time. Together forever.
I may not be able to sit on his lap anymore. I may not be able to feel his whiskery chin on my face. I will not get the chance to wrap myself up in his warm arms again. But his life story and everything he has taught me will be carried on in my life. My kids and their kids will know him and every little thing he has done for me.
11 years. Amazing how it can feel just like yesterday.
I am Daddy's Little Girl.
Harry J. Hancock is my Daddy.
I love my Daddy
