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Saturday, April 20, 2013

April 19, 2013



Today amid the absolutely terrifying and, in the end, exuberant chain of events involving the Boston Marathon bombing suspects, I was having a much quieter and more personal experience that had far greater implications than any act of terrorism. This morning I found out that my father passed away.

My family and I were coming down to NYC to visit my dad in hospice care. I was awoken by a phone call from my brother. Both of us still half asleep, he broke the news to me. My dad had been battling cancer for the past couple of years and finally succumbed some time during the night. I was fortunate enough to have had come down a couple of weeks earlier when my dad insisted that we have a birthday party for me and my brother. We both have April birthdays.

As we finished packing for the trip down, and after I broke the news to my wife and two sons, I began to read the reports of the gun and bomb battle that took place also during the night in Cambridge between law enforcement and the bombing suspects. After an already tense week following the Monday bombings this news did not sit well.

As we made our way down I-95, I took to social media only to find post after post from friends in the Cambridge and Watertown areas writing about hearing gunshots, explosions, and posting photos of SWAT teams outside their homes. In between checking posts I drifted back to thoughts of my dad and of my mom who apparently was also fighting off high blood pressure and a bout of vertigo.

We get to NYC, check into our hotel and make our way to my parents' house in lower Manhattan.

Later that evening as my mom cues up a vacation video of when my parents went to Hawaii, a quick flash of the news flickered and I read the words, "Suspect captured alive." I felt a sudden sense of relief and gratitude and then an instant later I was watching footage my dad shot of Hawaii. Meanwhile I can hear cars honking horns and the occasional celebratory yelp. They're celebrating in NYC too.

So as I sit here typing this, now just past midnight and technically the next day, I can only take a deep breath and look back at April 19, 2013 with the strangest sense of sadness, sentimentality, and elation. Thank you Boston and I love you Papa.

36 comments:

  1. Oh man.

    I realize that I'm just [ a random guy from the internet], but I'm sorry to hear that you're going through these things.

    Best Wishes, TR

    ReplyDelete
  2. My condolences to you and your family. Losing your Dad is a hard thing. My Dad passed away five years ago, it is still a little hard thinking about it. But it does get better, especially when you think of the good times, and spend time with your Mom and family.

    Take care.

    Allen

    ReplyDelete
  3. Condolences for your family's loss. Thank you for sharing the moments and thoughts of such a surreal day for you. Love, and God bless.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Sad to learn of your loss. Remember the good times with your dad.

    jack

    ReplyDelete
  5. So sorry to read about your loss. Condolences, and you have my deepest sympathy. I enjoy your comic, and thank you for writing/drawing it.

    A fan,
    Noreen

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sorry for your loss. When my father passed away, everybody was glad (especially me and my sister). Cherish the fact that you had a loving father that left you with good memories. You are very lucky.

    Brent

    ReplyDelete
  7. All my sympathy for your loss. It is very hard to lose a parent, or anyone else.

    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  8. Tak, many condolences on the loss of your father.

    ReplyDelete
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