I pray Our Heavenly Father by his Grace, Love, and Mercy bless you and your family. Anyone who reads my forthright posts knows that I try to lend context and perspective to what I am saying. Today, I have a very short story, so I greatly appreciate those who will read this in its entirety.
I knew a man who came from near absolute poverty. His mother died when he was 3 while trying to give birth to what would have been his baby sister. His father turned to the bottle after losing his wife and child, so this man grew up basically on the streets of a sleepy, blue collar town in PA. His Catholic grandmother did all she could to keep this boy straight, even making him become an altar boy, to which he was later kicked out of that Catholic school for “things unbecoming of a young man.” He ran with a torrid bunch of guys whose collective IQ was probably less than 100. He got kicked out of all 3 high schools in his district and he lied to join the Navy. “The Navy”, as he put it, “saved my life.” He served in the Korean Conflict, got a chevron removed (Navy ranking term) after starting a brawl in a bar in pre-Castro Havana defending a local girl who was being harassed by a fellow sailor. Defend the honor of a woman. Then he became a Navy diver just for the hell of it. Then he met a woman who would change his life forever.
It was a huge work in progress, but her undying faith, commitment, and determination to get this guy “right” began to pay off. That very man, wanting to do all he could for his family, started going to Alaska each spring to commercial fish. He started in the cannery and eventually saved enough money to buy his own boat, the Snug Three. His kids would not see their father from Easter until Labor Day. This went on for about 6-7 years. Finally, the man and his wife wanted a better life for their kids and they packed it all up and moved to Florida. This high school (kicked-out) man sold mobile homes, used cars, worked as a foreman at the Port of Palm Beach, you name it, and then came his moment. He got a sales job, and from driving his van from Fort Pierce to Miami to the west coast of Florida, climbed the corporate ladder. In less than 5 years with the company, he was promoted to regional sales manager with 13 states under his control. Did I say he got his GED through the Navy? He went on to work for this company for 20 years before retiring. This man seemed to embody the term, American Dream. From poverty and told, “You will never amount to anything or wind up in jail” to becoming a corporate executive pretty much defied the odds and became a great man. That man never met a stranger, only a friend he hadn’t met yet. Whether you loved him or hated him, you remembered him. This man was NEVER HANDED ANYTHING. He earned and built nearly everything he and his family had. He took his wife to places she never thought she would travel to. Ever the adventurer, never letting life slip from his hands. Oh, and that woman we talked about, she was there every step of the way, teaching, loving, supporting, and yes scolding. August 29 would be 59 years of marriage, but unfortunately, they will not celebrate it together. That man, MY (our) FATHER, passed away at 6:50 AM on Friday, August 14. He was 82 years and 2 months. He will no longer be able to take those walks on the beach with my Mom or blissfully gaze at a sunset on this Earth.
We (our entire family) know where my Father is and we take great solace and comfort in that. He is reunited with his Lord and Saviour, and family members who have preceded him in that Heavenly Kingdom. I smile when I think of that eternal bliss and peace, but I am ANGRY. This did not have to happen.
Let me make this perfectly clear, my father passed away from Covid, but Covid did not kill my father, the CHINESE GOVERNMENT killed my father, Covid was just their weapon of choice. More than 760,000 people WORLDWIDE didn’t have to die from this. My father was still active, swinging a golf club, taking walks, holding hands with my Mom as they did so. We were just talking about our next golf game. They were looking forward to moving in with my wife and I because I couldn’t in good conscience continue to allow them to stay where they were. This decision was made final just 2 days before my Dad started getting sick. My Mom tested positive also. So far, she is doing well. You see what I mean? My parents weren’t hanging out in the clubs, going to restaurants, crowding into jammed places. NO, they were quarantined in their assisted living facility; relegated to a 300 square foot room for more than 2 weeks. We could only see them through the window. The last people who spent his remaining moments were people he didn’t know. I begged with the doctor to at least allow one person to see him. NOPE, SORRY! The CDC has control of your life now. Which brings me to my final point. My father taught me to fight the good fight, and here is the fight, this virus should not have become a political game. Yet it seems some people don’t care about life or family or community. WE SHOULD ALL BE UNITED IN FIGHTING THIS not each other. Who gives a shit about the efficacy of this therapeutic or that preventive. Rather than blame the federal government’s response, let’s look for solutions. That hospital had everything they needed for my dad: steroids, therapeutics, plasma, incredible medical personnel. There was no, sorry we don’t have that. TRY EVERYTHING YOU CAN! WOULDN’T YOU DO THAT FOR YOUR FAMILY MEMBER? Damn right you would. There are still so many things we are not aware of with this and we just need to really make sure we protect the most vulnerable, but even in that, in a place we thought would be safe was not. I do not blame the facility, I do not blame the federal govt. I blame the Chinese government. Period! They stole more memories to be made for my father and mother and for us kids and other family members. Shameful, disgraceful, and despicably mean. May our Heavenly Father bless you all and let’s get together again to fight the virus, not each other. We are the UNITED STATES, not the divided states or divided people of America. God’s love to all. If you can, call your Mom. Call your Dad.
