Far Away

I have been dreading this one since I was 12 years old. That was when my Pop became very sick for the first time and we thought we were going to lose him. That night I prayed to God and asked, if He was real, to please save Pop. And He did. Pop was still very much needed on Earth.

Pop was strong, brave, a fighter, loyal, generous, kind, and funny. He used to tell me that I had "been drinking muddy water" if I stood in front of the television and that he had "worse places on my eyeballs" if I hurt myself. He called me "Amy Boo" without explanation. He was the true patriarch of the family, no matter how bossy, hot-tempered, liberal, or stubborn his brood of women might be. And he took us all, just as we are, and loved us anyway. Football, baseball, and golf could be counted among his joys in life. He must be the most loyal and committed man I have ever known. He was married to my Nanna for 66 years before she passed away 3 months earlier. He cared for her through most of her battle with Alzheimer's disease. After she was gone, it was as if his brain told his body that it was okay to let go; his work was done. There are not enough words to sum up who Pop was or what he meant to me. I'll be forever grateful to have had his impact on my life.

At his 50th wedding anniversary party with Nan.

At the house in Bossier City, a place that was a huge part of my childhood.

A young handsome guy.


Little did he know how this little inscription would ring so true, so many years later.

We always knew where he stood.

And so, Pop, this one is for you. "FAR AWAY..."

'Round her neck she wears a yellow ribbon,
She wears it in winter and the summer so they say,
If you ask her "Why the decoration?"
She'll say "It's for my soldier who is far, far away.