Dad’s legacy is that he poured into people....
Considering that he grew up in a home were abuse was perpetual & love was scarce, its remarkable that he was able to give the very thing to so many that he never received.
Dad was a fighter, who fought life his whole life, & also fought his death. On 1/8/22, Dad was finally put to rest after battling his second campaign against Lymphoma, it was just too aggressive this 2nd time for him to overcome. We take solace in the fact that he’s no longer scrapping for every inch.
As we remember Dad, we are grateful for the core people in his life who chose to show him the Love he needed to overcome the hand he was dealt as a child. Those are people who my dad considered family, and helped him understand what affection meant & got him to a place where he could love my momma after spotting her on campus at Missouri State. Without these core people, Dad wouldn’t have been Dad. A thank you isn’t anywhere near enough.
Through me and my sister’s life, we remember him on every sideline, at every vacation, dinner, & most memorable to me, in every car ride after a game- whether good or bad, constantly trying to teach & coach. It was these car ride coaching moments that I will always treasure & miss the most. During our grieving process, it’s been remarkable how many people have reached out and let us know how Dad had impacted them with one of these mentor moments, many of them unbeknownst to us. I know this would have fulfilled Dad more than anything because his Dad never offered this.
Dad’s legacy was that he left his family in a position that was light years ahead of the trailer park he started in, & that despite not having a dad that invested in him, he decided that he was going to be different, and constantly give, coach, help… pour into people. My hope is that if you read this, or you knew Dad, that you’ll never forget how he poured into you, & that you will always be pouring into others’ cups.
We ride in honor of Dad and the hopes that we can continue to help those still fighting, and to continue to pour into others.
Like Dad always said, “It’s not the hand you’re dealt, it’s how you play it.”
