27 Years ago Today, The Passing of my Father

woke up this morning a little stiff but with more range of motion on the knee.Feel really good and contemplate heading to the gym for a light workout . Upon waking up this morning, I remembered the event this day that changed my life forever, this day 27 years ago today my father died at the Bob's Big Boy on Vineyard Avenue , 2 miles from the house. Every Sunday my dad and I would go to breakfast and this Sunday I chose not to go, was out too late the previous night and was really tired and he knocked on my door to ask if I was going to eat with him and I told him, "No Dad,I am too tired" so he went on his way and it was the last time I would would see my dad. I do remember telling him I loved him as he walked away. An our or so after he left we got the call from St .Johns to come to hospital, the had our father in the Hospital, they wouldn't say anything about his condition, but I knew he was gone and began grieving in a silent stoned appearance, we all drove as fast as we could to the hospital and were ushered into the Chaplains where my biggest fears were confirmed. My father died from a massive coronary, one of which the VA knew about but my father chose not to have fixed , he was only 62 ,but an old 62, he had a hard life as a child and as an adult became an alcoholic and had many flashbacks to his 3 1/2 years as a POW in a Japanese prison camp and WW2, for this he would never recover and always be fighting himself if not the world be be normal again. My dad did some bad things in his day and could be violent with others, never to his kids but always was that time bomb ready to explode. As the years went on he went to all of our baseball games, basketball , anything we did he was there to support. He quit drinking and smoking cold turkey one day after he was throwing up blood and would never drink or smoke again.He was from the ages of 50 -62 a different man and treated my mother like a woman and treated us differently as well, we enjoyed the new dad and cherished the changes he made to improve his life and his relationships with his kids and my mother. So here I was a 21 year old punk ass kid just accepted into San Diego Sate University, losing my dad was the most traumatic thing I ever went through and I essentially checked out from life for a few years,I never went back to school and left Ventura College with an AA degree. So yeah I did check out from life until my Boy Brandon was born on Christmas day 1985, the pity party I was having soon changed to being responsible for a life that he and his mother created and were now responsible to right all of the wrongs in our lives with this precious little boy. Funny how God seemingly has a plan for us all,I lost my father and then became one shortly after, one torch was blown out and another re-lit . I was sad at the time of my father's death, he was so much to me and I was his baby, he treated me differently than the others, showed so much love , more than my mother ever could but his final years were so good and so fresh in my memory. I can honestly say my dad gave everything he had, as a dad, as a husband and as a patriot to his country by serving the Army during the Japanese conflict and just wore his heart and soul to nothing left to give.So I thank God today for relieving my father of his pains and hurts and the memories all so bad for him in his life! He paid his dues and it was time for him to rest so I have succumbed to that and am good with it. Today marks a moment in the Duran Family's life which re shaped us all, given us the perspective to grieve and the gifts that we have, to appreciate the lives that God has given us all, our kids , our families, and our friends that have made our world a better place to be. So on this day 27 years ago I remember the day my dad, Gregorio Duran was taken from away and smile for all that he brought my life. Thank you lord for giving me those 21 years and for giving my Boys more with me in their lives