20 Years

Last weekend was the 20 year anniversary of my dad's passing and we decided that it was finally time to set him free from the box that he has been in since he was cremated. I flew in from New Mexico on Wednesday the 2nd and Jay flew in from North Carolina on Thursday the 3rd. True to form, my brother did not disapoint with his travel luggage...

Seriously bro? A Plastic Carry On Bag? After celebrating my mom's 69th birthday together for the first time in 9 years, we took off for one of my dad's favorite places in the world...Santa Cruz. My dad loved him some Giant Dipper. He loved anything fast and loud.

Because of COVID the boardwalk and beach was practically empty which was perfect for what we were about to do. It was like renting the beach all for ourselves to say goodbye to our family patriarch. As we each took turns releasing his ashes into the ocean, we were able to reflect on the good times while listening to some of his favorite tunes. The louder the better!

I am so glad that we never forced saying goodbye to him faster than we all were ready. 20 years was the perfect amount of time to be nostalgic but not crazy emotional. That is until we got to the Heather Farms softball fields. Walking out onto those fields at dusk, remembering how much he and I loved the game, I could almost feel his presence as I was sprinkling him on the pitching mound of fields 1, 2, and 3. I broke down. I realized in that moment how much I truly missed him and how much I wish that he was still here to make memories with.

Wish You Were Here