Hard to believe but today — May 12, 2025 — is the 14th anniversary of my Dad’s passing. It’s a day I will always remember as my Mom, my siblings, and a number of Dad’s grandchildren were all huddled by his bedside as God called him home to that place we all aspire to at the end of our earthly journey; it’s that special place called heaven. As the rain continued to fall quite heavily on that day, each of us got to hold Dad’s hand one final time and to tell him how much we loved him. Then, as if by God’s invisible hand, we all looked out through the window in Dad’s room as a glorious rainbow lit up the sky.
Ever since the day Dad passed, I look at this precious photo of Dad and me that was taken on my Confirmation in May of 1967. How precious that moment was in my journey of faith with Mom’s camera catching me looking up in admiration of my Dad who in his own quiet way taught me and so many others so much about life. And now at 70, I still look up to him and more aware than ever of his incredible resiliency through a life that saw him lose his Mom at the age of 2, his Dad at 12, the only surviving member of his platoon in the Battle of Iwo Jima during WW II, and then the unexpected and sudden loss of his first born son Dennis when Dad was just 46 years old.
As my brother Matty likes to say, “Dad just kept on becoming the best version of himself” despite such heavy loss and heartbreak. And that’s such an endearing message for all of us who knew him and loved him so much. Finish the race God calls each of us to run until He calls us home.
Here’s a short video I made of my Dad that captures some precious reflections I made of him on my 34 day Camino Pilgrimage across Spain back in September 2021. Enjoy and Dad — I love you today and every day and know I will see you again, All my love, Jackie
