Today’s Dad’s birthday. He would have been 74. In August of 2002 he called to say, “we’ve had a little set back.” It was his way of telling me he’d just been diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma. He told me it was nothing to worry about, the doctors would treat it and he’d be fine. Neither of us knew he’d be gone just a little over 2 months later in November.
I didn’t know it when I was growing up, but I was blessed to have the
best dad a girl could have. He wasn’t a perfect man, but he was the perfect dad for me. And believe me, I gave him every single gray hair he earned on his head.
When I was about 8 years old, Dad brought home a gift for me. It was a book. Donna Parker at Cherrydale. (Similar to the Nancy Drew mystery series). I read it voraciously from cover to cover. He had no idea that he was the catalyst of my lifelong obsession and love of reading.

Dad's Duck Hat
Dad loved humor. He would always have a silly joke to tell that would make the entire family groan. Every Christmas Chris and I would try to come up with the perfect surprise gag gift for him. Here he is modeling a duck head hat when he came to visit us after he and mom moved to Montana.
When Dad passed away, I was fortunate to be emeshed in the paranormal. Our investigations and study helped me see evidence over and over that we really do live on after we die. It was the only thing that helped me cope with letting him go.
On the last day of Dad’s life, I sat on his hospital bed next to him as he lay in a coma. I told him how much I loved him and how proud
and blessed I was that he’d been my dad. I told him it was okay to go. We’d be fine here and he didn’t have to worry about leaving us. But I did ask him to make me a promise. I asked him to promise me that once he got “over there”, if there were any way possible, to please be a spirit guide for me. My hope was, that by asking him to do that, it would keep him near me all the time as I made my way through the rest of my life without him.
A month or two later I was emailing back and forth with a medium I’d met online in a psychic development group who was trying to perfect her skills by giving free readings long distance. I asked her to give me a reading, longing to hear from my dad, of course. I didn’t tell her who I wanted to connect with, or even whether it was man or woman. She had no way of knowing that I’d recently lost my father. We’d never discussed it by email. We’d never even talked on the phone.
The day of the reading she gave me a call and thanked me for giving her the opportunity to work at giving long distance readings. She began by telling me of a male figure who was coming through. Dark hair, medium complexion. He was so funny! A man with a wonderful sense of humor. He was a nice looking guy. Someone who loved me and was with me a lot. She told me he was very busy over there where he was. I asked her what he was busy doing. I’ll never forget her reply.
She laughed and told me she didn’t quite understand what he meant, but she relayed the message, “he said to tell you he’s been very busy going to spirit guide school.”