I've said before in a past article, growing up, I wasn't really a mama's girl or a daddy's girl, but a great mixture of both. Hands down I had the best parents a girl could ask for. I had a really great relationship with my daddy. He was the person in my life that I felt like I could say anything to and he wouldn't judge me or make me feel dumb. He was always there to listen. Or fix something. There's a song called "One Wing in the Fire" by Chris Tomlinson about a guy and his dad. My favorite line in the song is; "Daddy's always been there for me, from T-Ball to touchdowns. Fixed my car and fixed my heart when they've been broken down." To me, that accurately summed up my sweet daddy. He could mend even the most mangled of hearts. He was always in my corner. I loved him very much. And I miss him even more. You see, I always thought my dad was a super hero, but even superman had his kryptonite. Dad's was heart disease.
When I was 15, Daddy had his first heart attack. He had a quadruple bypass and was good to go. Or so it seemed. Fast forward about eight years or so and he started to have problems again. Shortness of breath, chest pains, blood thinning and so on. It was determined that he needed a valve in his heart replaced, but before that could happen, Heaven gained the most beautiful angel.
August 7, 2014, I got a call in the wee hours of the morning, telling me that my daddy passed away. I was devastated. I knew that he was really sick, but I just never thought my superhero of a father would have ever gone away. The next couple of days after that were a blur. Funeral home visitation, funeral, and the days after were the hardest of my life. The day after his funeral, I was driving to my aunt’s house to tie up some lose ends and while driving I had the radio blaring with songs that reminded me of him. Crying so hard I could barely see to drive, I was crying out to him and God. Telling them both how much I needed them to help me get through this. Later that day, while driving home the sky opened and a horrible storm passed through. I pulled off because I couldn't see the road in front of me. After it passed, I pulled back on the highway. Looking up at the sky I see the most beautiful, vibrant rainbow. Honestly, the brightest one I'd ever seen. I was mesmerized by it. And that’s when I knew…
My dad had this thing he always said… "It'll be alright." No matter what it was about his response was always that. It got annoying to me sometimes, because I can be the type to freak out over things and he was so calm and collected and chill all the time. Seeing that rainbow, I know that it was him, telling me once again that everything was going to be alright. To me, that rainbow meant peace, because I felt his presence and him watching over me. It also meant a promise that one day we would see each other again, and until that day comes, he’ll be looking out for me.
My sweet daddy was sick for a long while, and seeing him in so much pain on a daily basis was disheartening. Looking back on his last few years on Earth and knowing where he is at now, I know that he’s won. Joe Long has been healed!! As much as I miss him, I’m happy for my daddy. I know that he’s not in pain anymore, that he is brand spankin’ new, living the good life waiting for the rest of us to join him.
There will always be storms in life, and we all know the best part of a storm is seeing that beautiful rainbow after. Now, I know that all the rainbows I see for the rest of my days are promises. A promise from my dad that he is there and watching. And a promise from God that there’s always something beautiful to come after something awful, and that one day I’ll get to see him and my daddy, again.
