In life, we are all under the notation that everyone you meet in life is bound to stay alive, at least we hope. Father's Day comes around every third Sunday in June. It is a day where we celebrate and honor those fathers who did absolutely anything for their kids, those fathers who raised their children, the fathers who loved and cherished us.
I read a quote the other day that stated, "Love the people God gave you, because one day God will take them back." As you go through phases of your lives, everyone ages, including the ones you love the most. Unfortunately, the ones you love the most can be instantly taken back in a blink of an eye.
My dad was a remarkable, influential, outstanding, humorous, amazing and simply loving kind of guy. He opened my eyes with his actions, his generosity to his peers, his wisdom to the people who he has came in contact with and simply educating me on life knowledge.
I will forever be thankful and blessed for having the father I did have, and I wouldn't trade it for one minute. Someone once told me, "losing your dad does not define you," as in I did not take part within his death, and it doesn't define me as a person that he has died.
I wholeheartedly believe losing him defined my life in every positive aspect. Throughout moments of weakness, struggles, mourning and tears, I gained perspective, strength, knowledge and an ambition to start living before it is too late.
They say you die twice in life: one time when you stop breathing and a second time when somebody says your name for the last time. My father will always be celebrated for every single holiday, every birthday and every father's day. Life will break you, make you grieve, you will go through your weakest of moments, but once you rise above the storm, you will find the sunshine.
As time keeps on progressing forward, endless emotions and thoughts run through your head. I was looking at my memories on Facebook, and a picture from June 19, 2016 popped up. It was a picture of me and my dad on father's day.
I don't remember that exact day we celebrated, but it happened to be the last one we did celebrate. When I was in that moment of my life, I didn't have any thoughts that this was the last one, nor did I ever portray a father's day without him.
You never know when it is someone's time or your time, but you still have to follow every aspiration, every adventure, every goal and every dream. After all, life is a brief intermission between birth and death, go enjoy it.
I was raised by someone who cared, someone who showed me what love was, someone who would sacrifice his life over mine, someone who inspired me to chase every ambition, someone who mirrored giving your heart out and someone who I call my Dad.
Happy Father's Day, I love and miss you more than words could ever tell.
Olivia White
