Dear Dad,How in the world did you do it? You are absolutely amazing. People can plan out their lives and control a lot of the things around them but how in Gods name did you control and plan your own death? People die with regrets and with un-closed business and they leave loved ones without making amends but you made sure that all of your t's were crossed and your i's were dotted before you left this earth.
We all know that you didn't die from any long term medical problems because you were only 76 years young when you passed and in great health and still traveling around the world with Mom.You were still performing your charity works for the poor migrant workers of Indeo on a daily basis.
We all knew that you didn't drown as your Death Certificate stated. You loved the water and you were snorkeling in the ocean off of a Tahitian Island at the time of your death. What a way to go.
But we still think that you planned and orchestrated your own death. Of course you couldn't do this alone. You had to have some help so you went to your most trusted friend. The person you talked to every day. The person that you confided in and confessed to. The person you honored and adored every day of your life. Of course that person is Jesus Christ.
You can't change my mind about the way I feel about this, Dad. And here is why;
1. You died in the ocean. You always loved the ocean. You were an avid fisherman all of your life, you owned your own boats and even enlisted in the Navy on your 18th birthday.
2. You died away from home so that we couldn't see you immediately after you died. You thought it would upset us too much.
3. You died while snorkeling off of an island near Tahiti. I can take a poll of 1000 people and ask them how they would like to die and give them that option. I'll bet 950 out of the 1000 would choose to go your way.
4. Although you were very healthy, you called each one of your four children into your office just weeks before your death and told each of us what personal jewelry of yours you would like each of us to have after your death. Of course we all wondered why you chose this date in your young life to do this but now we know why.
5. You left your wife of 53 years very well off and well taken care of.
6. You made sure that you died without putting us through the pain of watching you die from cancer or some other medical malady or even worse, in a plane or car crash.
7. Everyone in the family knew that you wanted to be buried at sea but that it was against your Catholic faith which meant more to you than anything else in the world. To you, this was the next best thing. Enter the ocean and into Christ's arms.
8. You always said that the amount of friends and family that show up at a persons funeral is directly related to the weather conditions outside that day. Of course you died in the summer time because you didn't want to create any hardships for any of your friends or family.
9. Because of your position as Chief of Police and because you were a Police Officer for over 40 years, you attended, spoke at and led many funerals. You led many ceremony's for fallen officers, friends and relatives. You even managed to lead your own funeral by having your youngest son and a clone of yourself, speak at your funeral. He spoke as you would have spoken.
10. Because of your deep Catholic faith and your love for your fellow man, we believe that after working out this deal with the Lord, your just rewards would be to sit at the right hand of God and be with him for eternity. I know that you are watching and waiting for us and especially Mom to come home to Heaven so you can see the family that you loved and nourished and raised once again. And Pop, we can't wait to see you either.
I just don't think that any of us kids have the kind of juice that you have with the Big Guy upstairs to orchestrate the end of our lives like you did. Ok, it's possible that Mom does but the reason I don't think so is because if she had it her way, she probably would have gone with you instead of staying here and missing you so much. But then again, she does have her Kids, her Grand kids and her Great Grand kids to consider. Who really knows?
Pop, we miss you so much. Not a day goes by without all of us thinking of you. You were the most wonderful Father and the greatest role model any kids could have. Thanks for everything you did for us Dad.
