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Don't Miss Him Til He's Gone

Have you told someone you care about I love you or just a simple thank you today? This is a paper I wrote in memory of my dad.

By Kiara BowensPublished 6 years ago 4 min read
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Back in the good ol days, my dad and I were always close. 

It is real easy to take someone for granted while they are still around. Even though we may take our loved ones for granted, most of the time it isn't intentional. There are plenty of everyday things that seem minor on a regular day, but looking back they could mean the world to someone reflecting back. It's not that you didn't care, it was just the norm. The sad reality is sometimes it takes someone being gone for you to notice and appreciate some of the things they have done for you.

My own father did many things for me as a child and most of the time I did not thank him for it. Now I definitely told him thank you sometimes; so I wasn't a complete spoiled brat, just spoiled. There was this one time I was supposed to wash the dishes and clearly I didn't want to do it. After I snuck off to my room, my dad went behind me and washed them anyway. Just little simple things like that he would do for me and I was grateful for it, I just didn't say it.

Just like most caring fathers, my own would go work everyday and provide for his family. Sometimes he would even have two jobs just to make sure his household was taken care of. Like I said before, these are everyday things that may seem like not a big deal, but it is. I was only a child so it had no major significance to me. I just knew my parents had to work. On top of going to work, he would make sure I got up for school on the days he didn't take me and also make sure he picked me up as much as he could. Most mornings I wish he wouldn't wake me up so early, but as I look back I'm glad he did. He did this for me everyday, even up until high school.

When I was in the 11th grade my father gave me a necklace one morning for no particular reason. He was handing it to me while I was still in bed and I fanned him off because I wasn't a morning person at all; I'm still not. He teased me a little and laughed at me before going to work. Then I got up like normal and went to work after school. It was a normal day for me, or so I thought.

I only had a few hours left to work and all of a sudden my aunt pops up and goes straight to my manager. I saw my manager's face and she looked worried all of a sudden, but not enough for me to ask. All she says to me is just leave. On our way my aunt tells me my dad is in the emergency room and I don't really question it, he would go to the doctor and ER for anything. So this wasn't a major concern for me, don't get me wrong I cared, I just didn't put much thought into it. My mom even joked and said he would go to the ER if he had a simple cold. We arrived at the ER and there was a lot of my family in the waiting room. There was silence when I entered the room, so I knew at that point it was serious. One of my older cousins finally told me what happened and I broke down crying. I still don't remember what she said to me, I just knew it was something serious this time.

Within a week my dad was gone. He went from the emergency room, to ICU, to the grave. I never got a a chance to say goodbye, thank you, or I love you. I was devastated to know that my best friend was gone. He was everything to me and I was everything to him. A few weeks after he passed away I looked at my dresser and saw the necklace he gave me that morning. I finally decided to read it and it said, "With wings of angels, know your Guardian is near." It is easy to take someone for granted; even if it's someone you truly care for. I did not thank him while he was alive, but I know he loves me regardless. I now have the little things that I took for granted to look back on and smile. I have plenty of good memories to revisit whenever I want. Make sure you tell your loved ones thank you and love you. Appreciate everything while they are here; you won't miss them until they are gone.

grief
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About the Creator

Kiara Bowens

Just trying to find my way in this world. Beginning to heal through my writing. Hope you enjoy

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