Father's Day - After Mass

After Mass ... whew ...

Today was ... for some reason I have no idea why .... You Know O Lord what else matters really though ... but today was fhe first day I really felt drawn to go to Mass ... and get all the way through Mass ... all the way ... first time since Mom died ... Oh Lord ...

I didn't cry once during Mass either, not once ...

Cried a *lot* this morning at your grave Momma but Oh ...

I keep thinking about what you wrote ... in that short note to Daniel ... why you went out with Dad ... oh when ... that had to be 1943 or 44? You said he "seemed like a decent guy."

Oh Momma ...

I've been thinking about that again and again. And yesterday ... company picnic ... *very* family oriented ... and I think me and one other guy were the only "singles" there with no family at all along. I made it almost all the way through and finally had to leave ... and then on to Bartlesville ... to Dad's Dad's Grave ... Charles W. Vaughan, Sr. My Grandfather.

His grave marker had shifted and I couldn't get it evened out ... man they made those military grave markers *heavy* ...

And then up to Dewey to see George W Martin's grave ... Dad's Mom's Dad ... my Great-Grandfather.

I keep thinking that I know all these men had problems ... horrible problems in Dad's case at least ... but oh ...

Momma ...

I just keep thinking that hey ...

We pays our money and we takes our chances ...

You picked someone you thought was a decent guy ...

And here I am now allowed to walk the face of the earth because of your choice ...

Likewise Grampa Vaughan and G-Grampa Martin ... I know so very, very little about these men ... and nothing at all about their forebears, or almost nothing ...

But hey ...

They did what they did and now by God's Grace working through this line of men I'm allowed to sit here and type and wonder and cry and think ... oh Momma ... oh Daddy ... oh God ...

And to all of you who have gone before me all I can think to say is:

Thank you.

It seems so little to say and nothing will ever really say what needs to be said but:

Thank you.

And.

Happy Father's Day.

Thank you.

Love in Christ,

Charles Delacroix
Sunday 11 in OT