(I had this great post written in my mind one night last week while I was laying in bed. But, never got a chance to actually write it out. Now, my mond seems to have forgotten most of it and it has lost some of its relevance. But, I'm going to try and do it justice as I think it needs to be written.)
Last week marked the 6th anniversary since we lost Big Dan (D's Dad). It is hard to believe that six years have gone by already. I can remember every detail of when I found out very vividly in my mind. I was in my first year at CMU and had been in EP's office all day so D couldn't get a hold of me. He finally got put into her office and told her and she told me before she handed over the phone. It was such a weird conversation that we had since it was full of facts and void of emotion. I don't think it had hit home for either of us at that point. For me, it sunk in when I called my mom at work and told the secretary it was an emergency and to put me through to her right away. I immediately packed up a few days worth of clothing and hit the road. Apparently I hit the road too fast as I got a speeding ticket somewhere south of Three Rivers. We still joke about that to this day. It was a bright spot in the tough days ahead. The days following were busy as we all worked together to plan arrangements. There were times of tears and times of laughter as we reminisced about him.
It saddens me that there are so many people that are a part of lives now that did not know Big Dan.
I can remember my last converation with him. We had a volleyball match at EMU on a Saturday night and D came to watch. Instead of riding the bus back to CMU, I rode with him. As soon as we got on the road, I told him I really wanted to call Big Dan. To this day, I'm not sure why I wanted to talk with him so badly, but I really wanted to talk to him about our big win. We talked for about 5 or 10 minutes then hung up. I am so glad we made that phone call and I got to talk to him that night.
Big Dan loved his family passionately. He was always bragging about what the kids were doing and how great they were. He loved teaching and loved the kids. He touched so many lives during his time at West Side MS. We'll never know the magnitude of lives that were changed, but the outpouring of love at his viewing was a good indication.
Many have said that he was too young or taken too soon. Though we would have liked for him to still be here, I know without a doubt that it was all a part of God's plan. He allowed this for a reason and we just have to trust Him.
The title of this post is something he used to say to people all the time. It was always a joke and said in love. Occasionally, Danny or I will say it to the other and it always brings a smile to our face.
5 days ago
