A Story of Perseverance

As of June 13, 2022 it will have been 9 years since dad left this earthly dimension. Because of the timing of his death I will always know when Father's Day is and that is bittersweet indeed. I write this in honor of him.

My dad was an extremely hard worker who always did his best to make sure the ones he loved were taken care of. Each day after school I would see him sink into his chair utterly tired and worn out from work but always made time to spend with my brother and I.

Before he got sick we would go on hikes, spend time in the basement in his little workshop area, build with Legos, do art, and have a family game night. Like many families from the outside it looked picture perfect but also like many families realities wasn't that at all. If I wasn't aware of life at home beyond the rose colored glasses before he got sick I definitely was aware of it after his diagnosis.

I remember being a freshman in high school when I first started noticing how tired my dad was and how much his body ached, particularly his knees. He used to work for a storm door manufacturing company and was on his feet all day on the concrete floors while also driving the forklifts. Dad would be in so much pain when he got home he'd have to sit down as soon as possible and would stay there for hours.

Sophomore year of high school he was diagnosed with Whooping Cough which really took a toll on him. From what I remember he was sick that whole spring semester and then it went into the summer. On one of the doctor visits that summer we received the news that he had stage 4 colon cancer. I didn't fully realize just how serious it was until later.

Junior year of high school came and my parents frequently made trips to Rochester, Minnesota, which is about an hour from my home town. They would go there because the place they went to gave vitamin c treatments which were much kinder on the body than chemotherapy. My mom wanted to avoid chemotherapy if at all possible especially since her dad went through cancer when she was a teen and knew the effects on the body, soul, mind, and spirit.

Throughout all of this all four of us were enrolled in Tae-Kwon-Do, and my dad was on a journey to receive his black belt despite everything.

Fall of my senior year my parents started going to Chicago every other week with my Aunt Cathy, dad's sister, for further cancer treatments. This was hard on both my brother and I, and likely also hard for my dad to leave us so often in such circumstances. To me this speaks to my dad's determination and perseverance in his will to live and make sure his family would be taken care of.

In the spring of 2012 my dad got to go on the trip of his lifetime, and go to places he'd always wanted to see- a trip to Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and Gettysburg. We went, all four of us, for my brother's 8th grade class trip and despite having to be pushed around in a wheelchair much of the time, and using a cane the other part of the time, it was a dream fulfilled.

Only a few months later in the summer another dream of his was fulfilled- receiving a black belt in Tae-Kwon-Do. For someone such as him whose body was weary from fighting cancer 24/7 and partially disabled because of it, this was an amazing achievement and one my dad was particularly proud of. Receiving a black belt was also a dream of his for my brother and I, and one I intend to fulfill in the next 10 years.

My dad has inspired me more than words could possibly express and he has taught me so much about what it means to persevere. I credit him with my persistence for life and all that comes with it. He taught me to always do my best and to face whatever it is that comes my way with my chin up, back straight, and with determination to succeed.

I love you so much dad! Thank you for all you did for me, and thank you for watching over me still to this day though you aren't physically here.