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Christmas 2007

November 25, 1999 

Thanksgiving Day………your first reaction might be…how sad that it was a holiday. However, Thanksgiving is a day for blessings and a day to be with your family. That day, dad was blessed with the peacefulness that he so deserved, and he went to be with the family that he loves in heaven. Although he is so greatly missed by all of us here, we can be assured he is not alone and he is smiling down on us right now.

Erika has often said to her brother Jim how lucky she felt he was to be born first…he has had an extra 10 years with dad! The more I have been with the Poser family, I too often wish I had come along sooner! Mom would always tell me about all the fun parties they had, the camping trips with the families and all the memories that they made together! You can see those special times in all the pictures that we put together for last evening and today. What a fun life they did lead…they always enjoyed life to the fullest. There is no doubt that dad led the pack on the trail of fun!  

When I joined this family 6 years ago, I was welcomed with such loving arms. Having lost my mother at the age of 15, and not having a close relationship with my father, who is now also gone, I was overwhelmed. Kirk always told me that I was the daughter that mom & dad never had.  He always said that he could see dads face light up when I would come over to the house.  That feeling never ended for dad…it only got stronger and stronger as time had gone on these last few months.  

I do not know what gave me such a strong bond to that man…except I knew and understood what was happening to him. I knew he needed something to look forward to every day to keep his faith and strength going. I was fortunate enough to be able to offer that to him with his wheelchair rides every day at lunchtime. It got to the point that he was expecting me at noon, and he could not wait for me to eat lunch. I learned I had to eat lunch BEFORE I arrived! He could have had the worst morning with nurses poking at him, and feeling the burning in his legs, but when I arrived…0ut we went! He felt no pain or sorrow then! 

That leads me to this little guy…we all know him as Woody from Toy Story! Well, Dad knew him as “the little cowboy”. He had never seen the movie Toy Story.  One day on our wheelchair rides, we found Woody laying on the side of the road with two broken feet. At first, I felt like he was going to get up all by himself just like in the movie. But I picked him up, and dad smiled. He held him in his lap, and I said I would take him home and fix him. The Little Cowboy sat by his beside at home, and then at the nursing home. He was a connection from then on between the two of us. I felt it was ironic that Toy Story 2 opened on Thanksgiving Day. I look forward to seeing “The Little Cowboy” on the big screen again, and told mom that we would take her to enjoy it too.

One other very important connection that dad & I had…CHOCOLATE. He loved his chocolate covered cherries!  He knew that I loved chocolate too…so we would sneak the candy on Christmas day when no one was looking. He selectively shared with me! You won’t have to twist my arm for us to buy chocolate covered cherries every Christmas as a remembrance of dad! 

Mom, Kirk, Jim & Erika…He loved you so much. You know that. We are all so blessed to have been touched by him. I know that guardian angels do exist. He will sit on your shoulder during the good times and smile at you, and he will push you from behind in the bad times when you need strength. I hope that he has met my mother, father and brother in heaven, because none of you knew them in our lives together here. Please dad, tell them what a special life I have found on earth with this family.  

You will be so greatly missed. 

I love you.

Your “daughter” Sue.  

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