Gone but Not Forgotten

As I sat there holding his hand, I could feel the warmth starting to leave his body. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I said goodbye to him for the last time. My dad had just lost his battle with cancer, but he went out with his head held high. I should have known him dying wouldn't have been any different than the way he had lived his life. It started to rain as they carried his lifeless body out of his house. Mom didn't want him covered up until he was in the hearse. I watched as they loaded him up, raindrops falling on his cheeks. He loved the rain. I swear I heard him chuckle and grin his crooked smile.

My dad was born and raised in a "holler" in West Virginia. He took me back to his home place to see where he was raised. The house was run down and falling apart. We didn't go inside because he said," It wasn't safe." It used to be a beautiful two-story white house nesting in between two mountains. All the windows were broken and the steps had fallen apart. There was a creek in the front yard. Dad said, "That is where we got our drinking and bathing water from." The creek was crystal clear. You could see minnows swimming in it. I put my hand in it and it felt cold as a piece of ice. Dad told me that it was always cold because it never got any sunlight because of the mountains and trees. Mountain laurel was in full bloom all over the place. Bright pink flowers and dark green leaves. They put a sweet smell in the air, almost like the smell of cotton-candy.

My dad was 5'6, small framed man, brown eyes, and jet black hair. On my dad's sixteenth birthday, his older brother took him out to celebrate. They had too much to drink and when he woke up the next morning, policemen were by his bed. Apparently his brother had stolen some cattle the night before. Both were arrested for cattle rustling. My dad spent four years in prison for something he didn't even remember doing. I think being in prison had a big impact on his life. He was a very stubborn man and set in his ways. He taught me a lot of life's lessons that I am thankful for. He always made me feel safe and secure. He corrected me when I needed it and was always there to help me with everything. He made me the person I am today. He taught me to be proud of whom I am and not care about what other people think about me. He also taught me to never give up. He told me, "You can do anything in this world if you set your mind to do it."

I remember one time in particular when I was eleven years old. It was the middle of June, hot and sticky outside. The birds were singing and ripe apples were falling from the tree. All of mom's lilac trees were blooming and butterflies covered the blooms. We were in the back yard, playing catch with a little pink rubber ball. Dad threw the ball to me (You have to understand,