Tag Archives: family
My Daddy – Things I remember
It’s been just over five years since my dad left us, and as Father’s Day approaches (and I am feeling the hole in my heart grow just a little) I have been thinking about the past. Those days filled with laughter and adventure, and I remember how lucky I was that for over forty years, I got to have him with me. That I got to have Michael A. Dearing as my father.
I remember him teaching us to play football, how to box. I remember 4th of July sitting on the roof and watching fireworks. I remember being tossed into the deep end of the pool, then swimming back to his arms and begging to be thrown again. And he did it again and again. Backyard Bear hunts and Big Foot Adventures in the park. Running from the Goose on the Westlake Gold Course. I hated that goose!
I remember being tickled and dog piled on. I remember watching TV, eating popcorn, stealing Cheetos from his plate, which was met with total disdain. I remember seeing him couched on the floor hugging and kissing my dog when he thought no one was watching. The Dearing Roll, weeding, BBQs in the backyard. RV shows and Greek Festivals.
I remember eating at new restaurants, driving around Ensenada, watching USC football. making new friends, taking my friends to visit every summer. I remember him walking through a room and everyone watching him. He could hold everyone’s attention and mesmerize people. I know I got my ability to tell stories from him. he was a Great storyteller.
I remember all the times he took care of me, and that one time I got to return the favor and take of him. Even when the power went out for 4 days after that huge storm in Cantu. I read to him from the Chronicles of Crime by candlelight, and we laughed (don’t judge until you’ve read it yourself – Magic!) and we would watch a few episodes of Harper’s Island on the laptop. And he got better for a little while. But you can only hold off the inevitable for so long.
And that beautiful soul left us a year later. Your exit was peaceful and everything we hope for it to be. But you’re gone and we are left with a piece of us missing. That’s was true love does. It takes a piece of you with it when it leaves.
Life is short. Don’t waste it. Tell the people you love, how much you love them. Don’t hesitate to share stories, and see your family and friends. Tomorrow is never promised. And for those of you who still have your daddies, please hug them, and tell them you love them, and laugh and make memories, so that you can remember all the glorious days you’ve spent together.
Father’s Day… Five Years Later
It’s been five years since my dad left us… and when I say left us, he died. Some of you have read my post, “My Father, My Hero, ” which was written a few days after he left. Raw emotions left on the page from fresh wounds, and now five years later, they are scars.
They prickle and hurt from time to time, reminding me about how much I miss him. The sound of his voice, his laughter, his wisdom. I learned so much from him. Some things obvious, other things not so much.
He taught me how to laugh. Introducing me to comedy in all forms, and allowing me to make my own decisions. Enjoying food… now, maybe I enjoy food too much, but because of he and my mother making me try new foods, I have a diverse and demanding palate. I think more parents need to do this (just my humble opinion). He taught me to work hard in sports and academics. He taught me how to be creative when disciplining a child.
He gave me an older sister, different mom ;). We didn’t get to meet until we were adults, but she reminds me of him every day. We look like him. She plays drums like him. She has his wild streak. She in turn has given me a niece and nephew.
He was one half of my parents. He gave me the other half. He gave me my mother. He fell in love with my mom. She is exceptional. Talented, logical, and loving. My mother and I have had a bumpy ride, but we came out the other side. Today our relationship is stronger than ever.
Together they gave me my younger brother and sister. My Rocks. We share the same memories. We share moments that he was a part of. We have shared a life that he was an integral part of. My sister gave us a neice.
Earlier this year, my father-in-law left us. Such a lovely man. So full of life, and joy. It was difficult to be around him and not smile or laugh. He loved to mock my American accent, introduce me to English foods. He would make jokes with his son, that only the two of them would get. He loved his wife and his children, and did for all of them.
Now, I get to help my husband through this diffcult time. Hold his hand, dry his tears and help him to move through the pain of missing his dad. Nothing can prepare you for the loss of a parent. My sister explained it best. We were a unit. Even though my parents were divorced, we were a unit, and now a piece of the unit is gone and it can’t be replaced. That is the best description.
I miss him every day. But I don’t cry every day now. Don’t get me wrong, I still have my “daddy days”, but they are fewer. Every once in a while, it hits me like a mack truck, and for a little while it’s the same as it was when we first left. But them I cry it out, and it’s okay for a while.
The mourning process never ends. That piece of you is missing. It will never be filled. Despite that, I carry him with me. I see him when I look in the mirror, or around my home. He is always in my heart. Thus, he is always with me.
I am so blessed to have had him for a father, and a best friend.
Bloodlines by S.L. Dearing – Cover Reveal
BOOK INFORMATION
SYNOPSIS
When Sascha and Eduard Engle flee nazi occupied Germany and arrive at a
small cottage in the deep woods of France, they have no idea what is in
store for them or who the kindly old man is who is taking care of them.
But on a cold winter the night, they will learn everything about
their… Bloodlines.
EXCERPT
The bright light of the moon shone through the little window above the bed of Sascha and Eduard Engel, illuminating the tiny room where they slept. Eduard breathed deeply, lost in the world of sleep as his sister lay quietly next to him. She stared at the sky through the glass, the tiny flakes of snow gently falling from heaven. She twirled an oval, bronze pendant in her fingers and smiled. She remembered her mother. Her mama had always told her that snow was God’s way of sending little pieces of heaven to his people on earth so they would remember Him. Sascha missed her.
Her mother had been gone for almost six weeks. The soldiers in the black and silver uniforms had taken her away. Mama had made them hide under the floors and told them to not make a sound. The soldiers broke through the door and Sascha remembered hearing the glass as it smashed against the wooden planks above her head. She closed her eyes, the tiny shards slipping through the spaces of the floorboards as they fell against her face. She heard her mother yelling at the soldiers and felt Eduard grasp her hand. Then she heard his voice. Sascha opened her eyes when she heard that voice. It was different from the others. She remembered how it cut into her soul like a knife through a potato. It hurt her. She had felt Eduard’s hand tighten. It must have hurt him too. The soldier argued with her mother and they began to yell. Suddenly, Sascha heard the smack and a great thud above her head. She saw her mother’s eye looking down at her for only a moment before it was yanked away.
AUTHOR CONTACT INFO
Cover Reveal of Immortal Rising by My Friend, Magen McMinimy
May I proudly announce the new cover for the last book in
the Immortal Heart Series by Magen McMinimy.
Come get lost in love, longing, betrayal, and passion in the final installment of the Immortal Heart series.
Immortal Blood | Immortal Craving | Immortal Promise | Immortal Rapture | Immortal Awakening
Cover Reveal – Winter Kiss: A Holiday Romance Collection
When the chill of winter drives you under the covers, snuggle up with this romantic collection of three steamy holiday inspired stories about hope, love and passion.
One Wish: A North American Pack & Half-Blood Princess Christmas by Magen McMinimy
The Wager: A Game Changer Prequel by Rene Folsom
The Gift by S.L. Dearing
Stalk the Authors of Winter Kiss
Add Winter Kiss to your TBR on Goodreads!
Hidden Truths by Brenda Youngerman
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I began reading Hidden Truthsbut I found a truly wonderful book about moving past the horrible things that happen in our lives and finding the best in others and ourselves.
Brenda Youngerman has written an amazing book about the lives of four children who experience a loss and subsequently their lives change forever. Two of the children grow up in loving families and the other two are subjected to lives with parents who are not there. Their journeys, all tragic in some form, come full circle and giving the reader a satisfying ending.
The subject matter could have been horribly depressing, but the author shows us how each of these children grow and change, finding hope and rising above their past. This book was truly inspirational and a great read.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Truths-Brenda-Youngerman-ebook/dp/B0042ANYH0/
Cover Reveal – Immortal Rapture by Magen McMinimy
coming.
Haven’t started the Immortal Heart Series? Need to get caught up before Uriah’s story? Well Immortal Blood: Book One is FREE!
A Touch by S.L. Dearing – Now Available
A Touch: A Lia Fail Short Story 1.2
It’s February in Lia Fail. The chilly winter air is making ready for spring, and more changes are in store for the Stark family, when a wagon train from Old Idaho arrives.
As a relationship dissolves, one is born, and another is rediscovered. The magic of the new world is making itself more prevalent in the form of the tiny pixies, while the untapped powers of those who have invoked the goddess are beginning to surface. Darkness once again walks the edge of the tiny village and it all begins with… A Touch.
This is the second in a series of short stories based on the Lia Fail Chronicles. This is NOT a stand-alone short story. It is a continuation of the novel The Gathering. This story will eventually be compiled with several others to form a volume one omnibus of shorts that will fill the time between book one and book two in the Lia Fail Chronicles.
Links for A Touch – A Lia Fail Short Story (1.2)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Fail-Short-Story-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00JPHFTBE/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Touch-Fail-Short-Story-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00JPHFTBE/
Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-touch-a-lia-fail-short-story-12-sl-dearing/1119231242?ean=2940149201181
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-touch-a-lia-fail-short-story-1-2
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id862970437
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21929659-a-touch
A Day of Thanks…
Thanksgiving is tomorrow. Well, at least here in the states. A truly American Holiday and although it has a shady origin, I think it’s found it’s way to what it should truly represent. And although I know a lot of people get stuck on the history of this day, and don’t celebrate or refuse to acknowledge the holiday, to me, its something else.
It’s the doorway to Christmas, Hanukkah and Yule. It kicks off the winter holidays with the most important thing about all of these holidays. It is about gratitude. For everything we are, everything we have and everyone we love. Whatever happened those oh so many years ago, Thanksgiving is now about what we have and how we give thanks. It’s about fighting with your siblings over a football game or something as equally benign. Or helping your mom make dinner, even when she tries to give you directions for something you’ve been doing for 30 years. Or remembering you last Thanksgiving with your dad and how he ate an entire pie over the weekend and stole all the Turkey when everyone else wasn’t looking. It’s about sharing what you have with those that have nothing. It’s about giving your time or your money or your food to someone who needs it.
Thanksgiving is more then a moment in the 17th century, it’s about what happens everyday and being reminded of how much we have and realizing that we are blessed. Whether it’s to celebrate a birthday or a miracle of lights or the impending winter, this truly American holiday is the opportunity to celebrate with our fellow Americans about our prosperity and large or small as it may be and to share that joy and all it’s blessings with those that need it. I’m not saying you have to work with the homeless or serve turkey dinner at a Soup Kitchen, but maybe you have a friend who doesn’t have much, or you have a neighbor who needs a friend. A small kindness can go a long way.
Tuesday at the market, I went to pull into my space and there was a cart left there, so I didn’t fit. I didn’t get mad, I just got out of my car to move it, but before I could, the woman next to me said “I’ll get it.” and smiled at me. She grabbed the cart and waved to me again. She didn’t have to, but she chose to. A small kindness. In the store, I went out of my way to smile and engage people. There was no hurry, no rush. One smile can lead to another and then another and then another.
My wish for this Thanksgiving it that we all share our joy with one another. Enjoy the moments with the people you love. Share your love with people you don’t know and give of yourself to someone who needs it. The world is a truly lovely place when we all give thanks. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone 🙂