I spent Labor Day weekend completing a bunch of stuff around the house, running errands, shopping for cars, etc. etc....
My kids and I took the day off on Monday. We slept in and prepared for a picnic at Dawes Arboretum. The day was filled with laughter and a beautiful view of the pond. (Bill, I couldn't resist - they got the story of the birds, since you told it so very well!)
At the end of the day, I had a task to complete. You may be wondering what the picture is below - it's a very special statue. This belonged to my parents, and resided in their garden in the front of our house in Granville, where they lived some 30+ years.
For those of you who don't know, my father - Charlie Cox - was a very special man. He was extremely involved in the community and particularly, the Granville sports program, dedicating endless hours volunteering in various ways from coaching, videotaping, and being on the chain gang at the football games. I knew him always to be involved, never as a spectator. I am guessing that is a big part of my personality that I can never just sit and watch. He was even inducted into the Athletic hall of fame and the football victory bell is dedicated to him.
Although he and I weren't too close in my young years, as I became a teenager, we developed a very close relationship and a special bond. I was the last of 4 girls that he put through Granville schools. He began to retire a bit from his endless efforts in the sporting arena, although never giving it up 100%.
He retired from the Newark Air Force base after 34 years of service and almost never taking a vacation. He and my mom decided to try "wintering" in Arizona, and I was shocked and pleasantly surprised that he fell in love with the warm winters, his RV, and the Phoenix-area landscape. They didn't have a phone and would call from a phone booth once a week or so. It was on one of those calls that I had the joy of sharing with him that we were expecting our first baby. I remember his reaction as clear as if it were yesterday..."My baby is having a baby!" We were a young couple and though had been married for a couple of years, we were really just starting out. I can imagine what he must have been thinking...
They came home for that summer of 1994. They postponed their return to Arizona in the fall, to be home for the birth of our son Ian, due on October 11th. During this time, I went on a trip (very relunctantly at 8 months pregnant) with my dad to West Virginia, to find the grave of his father, who died before he was born. He was incredibly driven to find this grave, so much so I was hiking through graveyards at record pace with my big belly! Although I didn't understand fully, I sensed his urgency and knew it must have been important to him. We finally found it, and it was a moment I won't ever forget - it was about one of 3 times in my life that I had ever seen him cry.
On October 1st, I received a phone call at 7am, the caller asking me to pass the phone to my husband. My father had passed away in his sleep that morning, presumably of a heart attack, at the young age of 56, and only 10 days before the birth of my son. The night before, I found out later, he had attended the Granville football game, saw all the buddies and community he hadn't connected with for a while, and was fondly remembered as laughing and talking and being a part of all the things he loved the most.
For a man who truly believed he had no friends...there were endless lines for two days as people came to pay their respects at McPeek's funeral home in Granville.
As my son approaches his birthday every year on the 11th, I am reminded of this day and how much I still miss my dad, almost 13 years later. I truly wish he had been here to enjoy his grandchildren, as I knew he would have been quite the grandpa. But God had bigger plans for him! My kids and I visit his gravesite in Granville fairly regularly, shed tears (even though they didn't know him!) and just pray for his place in heaven. So very much has changed in our lives in just a short 13 years. Who would have EVER imagined!
I wish I had a picture of him to share...someday I will find one to post.
Until then, this is a picture of the special statue, that was just returned from being repaired. It is a reminder of him and growing up and how much he loved his dog, Casey.
Here's to you, Dad! May I be such a great parent as you were to me!
I found this plaque a couple of days after he was buried, and just had to place it where his earthly remains would be.
This is the picture of what the site looks like. It's very peaceful, next to the bikepath in Granville where he tried so hard to turn his life around by exercising and riding his bike.
