Summer is hard. I miss my dad. Many years ago when my parents moved to Vista they were looking for a house to buy. The reason why they settled on the one they have lived in for the last 40 years is it had a pool. Dad took one look at the pool and said “this is the house”. So I have always grown up with a pool. Summers consisted of playing in the pool while my dad would sit by and read. When he got hot he would jump in and shoot some hoops. He loved that pool.
The other day I went to my parents house to clean the pool a bit in preparation for summer. It was a mess. I worked for a few hours skimming the bugs out and sweeping the bottom. It’s definitely not up to my dad’s standard but it will do for now. As I stood there pulling a giant bug out of the pool I broke down in tears. It was such a beautiful day. A day my dad would have loved. If he were alive he would have said it was a perfect day to sit by the pool. I cried cuz I missed him on that gorgeous day. I cried because my kids will never get to play basketball with him. I cried because the pool hasn't be as clean since he has been gone. I cried for oh so many reasons.
After I had a good cry I pulled myself together. You see dad wouldn't have wanted me to cry. He would want me and my family to enjoy the pool. It’s a happy place. It’s a place where we laugh and joke, where we challenge each other to races or basketball. It’s a place that has always brought us together. So I shouldn’t be sad. I should try and honor my dad by making more memories there. And I know that when we are in the pool playing dad is always watching us and smiling
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