Happy Birthday, Daddy

[susandennis]

I was listening to a podcast of late 20 somethings talking to each other and they all agreed that when adult people call their father 'Daddy' it sounds creepy to them. Hope none of them are reading this!

Today is my Daddy's birthday. He would have been older than god had he not died in 1999 at the age of 75. He had had what my mother believed was more complicated than necessary heart surgery a year earlier. He had a simple valve replacement but he had to have the best so they flew from South Carolina (which has exemplary cardiac surgeons) to MD Anderson in Houston. He had complications from the anesthetic and ended up being intubated for several weeks while Mom cooled her heels at his bedside. He had a long recovery before he could travel but finally made it home. He totally lost what had been an exceptional speaking and singing voice which drove him nuts.

He was working hard, a year later, with a speech therapist and getting healthier when he had a heart attack. He was conscience that night and the next day in the hospital asking Mom to bring him some TicTacs - the green ones - light green, dark green. Mom said that became her definition of WTF?? He never even liked TicTacs. Then he slipped into a coma and a few days later she let him go.

I was not the best daughter he could have asked for but I think he was proud of me and would be still if he knew me now. He love chocolate covered cherries. Happy birthday, Daddy.

I got some good sewing done today. Tomorrow is probably my last sewing/knitting day before this month's delivery. And then we will start a whole new batch. The lady at the Baby Bank has to be there to accept the delivery and I'm waiting now for a "Friday's fine" email.

Still time before the game... I should do something productive... back to the internet!

Comments

[opakele.livejournal.com]

I call my dad daddy. He called is dad daddy.

It is what it is, right?

[susandennis]

It certainly is.

[roasted-beets.livejournal.com]

My Daddy always bought me a box of chocolate covered cherries for Christmas.

He died the day the Challenger exploded. He was not aboard. :-)

[susandennis]

Sweet and good about the Challenger :)

[meowmensteen]

Haha, I call my SO Daddy. I'm mommy and he's daddy or sometimes dada. It always feels weird when I call him by his actual name. It's not that weird when you think about that fact that we are a mommy and daddy...except that our kid is 14.

[susandennis]

Oh see I don't think that's weird at all. My parents always called each other Mommy and Daddy. UNTIL they had grandchildren. They switched immediately to their grandparent names - Monkey and Popeye. Also when I was little, everyone's parents did that. It was kind of unusual for anyone to know their parents' actual given names!

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

I found this a difficult post to read, Susan. My mother died from a poorly done heart valve replacement surgery. at MD Anderson. Her surgeon was changed on the day of the surgery. My sister obsesses that she should have had the procedure cancelled. I don't know .... three years after her death and we're still wondering ...

[susandennis]

Sounds like you and your sister blame the hospital and surgeon. Different story on our end. There was no blame. He knew what he was doing. It might not have been any different had he had it done at home - it would have been easier on Mom. But, maybe not. We were raised to know that we espeically Daddy could die any time. We were all grateful to have had him so long.

[badrobot68.livejournal.com]

That last doll is so psychedelic and cool, one of my favorites!

[zoefruitcake.livejournal.com]

I called my father daddy until my parents split when I was 12 and after that I didn't really call him anything. My mother was always mummy though