I am an orphan.

[RICHARD]

I was sitting here on Father's Day watching some program on the Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team. I felt a little somber because I thought of my dad and how much he liked baseball.

-----------------------------------

Right after my mom passed away I spoke to my friend and she told me. "Rikki, We are both orphans now."

I never thought of it that way.

I guess I always thought of an orphan as the dirty ragamuffin in the movies. The kid dressed in knee socks, shorts, a threadbare jacket and the scam on how to make some money on the street.

Orphans are people left to struggle, on their own, against the world, with little or no guidance.

No, I am an old orphan, set in my ways and thankful that my parents got me to where I am today.

-----------------------------

If I go to the park up the street where he would take us on a Saturday afternoon and hit us fly balls, I walk to the palm trees where he would stand. The area isn't very big-it was HUGE! Back then, the little strip of grass was bigger that a baseball stadium, bigger than the state of Texas, bigger than the world. I just hadn't realized that they world was bigger than the small neighborhood park in my backyard.

I remember running back and forth with my brothers, running until we were all winded, Dad even more so, He'd wave us in with the bat and we'd spend the rest of the that time, having a pop, cold water and laughing about dropped balls or the hole in glove that really wasn't there......

Gosh, what I would do for one day, one afternoon, one hour, one more minute under the palm trees where we would cool off-happy that maybe I impressed Dad with my catches and throws.......

I will never know what my dad was thinking at the time, but I hope he was happy and proud of his sons.

-------------------------

It wasn't until my middle school years that I figured out that some kids didn't have the luxury of having a mom and a dad.

Confusing? You bet!

A few years ago my sister's daughters gave me a Father's Day card.

I was shocked at first!

I am no Father!!!! I could not even think of faking my way thru that idea....

Then I remembered about how my father never puffed up his chest and proclaimed he was a man and a father.

He let his actions speak for themselves.

Then I realized that they were looking for a male to carry the torch for him, and to be there when they needed some male figurehead.


When I finally got over the implication of being their 'dad', I stopped and thought about picking up some baseball equipment and inviting them to the park where I ran around with my dad.....

Even orphans like baseball!

[caseysmom]

I remember feeling that way after my mom died, even at 40 I felt like I always had my mom in case I needed her and when she died I felt lost.

Happy fathers day, it does get a bit easier.

[Grace]

I've been an orphan for 13 years, when my mom died. My dad died when I was just a wee lass of 5 years. I have no memories of him - but I do have a letter he wrote to his sister about a year before he died.

Douglas is also an orphan; both his parents have been gone since the early 80s.

Sometimes life s*cks.

[Medusa]

Dad died first, Mom 5 years later. When I got the call of Mom's passing, I said to my husband "I'm nobody's little girl any more". It's a sobering thought, eh, RICHARD?

[Marigold2]

Same here, it can be very sad. I guess we are the old folks now.

Dad died first, Mom 5 years later. When I got the call of Mom's passing, I said to my husband "I'm nobody's little girl any more". It's a sobering thought, eh, RICHARD?

[RICHARD]

I didn't mean to make today so somber......

I just wanted to unload a little angst and kinda remind everyone to make the effort to remember or if they have the opportunity to give dad a few minues of their time.

Being an orphan is not a bad thing.

--------------------

It's very sobering.


We do get lost when our pillars are taken out of our foundation. The fact that we still stand is a real testament to them.

There are times in the past few months that I wanted to say, "I don't care anymore..." And I wonder about the scolding I'd get if I was able to tell my mom I wasn't happy.......

It's better to muddle on and make her proud!

You guys rock.