Great Memories...

Well today is a tough day...3 years ago today my daddy took his last breath here on earth. It clearly was the hardest thing I have gone through, especially as an adult. A dad and their daughter always have a special bond. I was just thinking of all the things I appreciate about my dad...He coached my softball team when I was in middle school even when he was 60+ years old. He would always come to my cross country or track meets, cheering me on. He helped me move in and out of my dorm rooms all 4 years of college...PLUS he helped me move my different classrooms that I had when I started teaching and he would always pick things up for me at the store that were red, yellow, blue, or green since that was how I was decorating my classroom! He had a notebook where he wrote down all of my "dreams" for my wedding and made sure I got exactly what I wanted. He always took me to Georgia football games - my entire life - and thanks to my mom, she still makes the donation so I can have 2 season tickets! I still remember so many great things he did with me...chaperoned field trips to the zoo with my class in elementary school. Took me shopping for a bathing suit when my mom didn't feel well...or would take me out to lunch after church when just the 2 of us had gone. Even the day after I got married he left the sweetest voice mail on my phone saying..."Sarah Starkey...I don't know a Sarah Starkey but I know a Sarah Harmon...you better change your voice message!"

See my dad was a fighter...he had cancer. He originally was diagnosed when I was in 2nd grade. It came back a few times and this final time it was stage 4. He truly believed that he could fight it. He was doing chemotherapy up until the month he passed away. He was one of these determined people that would even drive himself to the hospital if the oncologist told him he needed to be admitted for fluids. I would go by and see him at the hospital after I got off work and the nurses would always know me, even if I hadn't met them, because of the bragging my dad would have already done!

I still remember July 2007 like it was yesterday...Jesse and I were taking the youth to Romania on a mission trip. There was major drama with my passport (never got it with Sarah Harmon...only had one that said Sarah Starkey) Anyway, about 3 days before we left my dad called Joe Wilson (my dad seemed to know lots of people!) and I had my passport in hand the morning we flew out. Well, the moment I stepped off the bus in Lexington after we got home I found out my dad was not doing well at all. We immediately went to Lexington Medical Center and saw him. For the next week and a half he definitely was going downhill and I even went to visit a nursing home for him. He was ready to go and I am thankful that he is not suffering anymore. I hope that I can continue to hang on to these memories and remember the 25 years I had with my dad. He was such a blessing in my life and provided me with a wonderful home and more than I needed as I grew up (Jesse would say I was spoiled!) I know that my dad has known I was pregnant long before we found out and that he already knows if it's going to be a boy or a girl. (Either way we are going to honor him through the name of this baby). My dad is probably bragging to every person in heaven about how his daughter is having a baby and telling them all about me. Those are the memories that keep me going even though he is not here anymore. I love you, Dad!