Dear Daddy,

I'm having a hard day. I miss you. With all the excitement of the past few days of Gigi's first days of school, getting lost and everything else that goes along with starting school I was able to "forget" for awhile that you were gone. You are always with me and the hole is still in my heart but when I'm busy I don't dwell on it.

Mama e-mailed some pictures to me and asked me to have them printed. I didn't think it would be a problem to do that. When I opened the pictures, it took my breath away.

The pictures are of you and you and Mama doing what you did best. Fishing. They are how I want to remember you, not the shell of you lying in a hospital bed. The pictures show you so full of life. So ALIVE. So Daddy.

You have your stupid fishing sunglasses on. The ones I made fun of you for wearing but know how practical they were in the boat. In another picture you have one of your famous vests on. You and Mama in a boat on the water.

A friend of yours sent these pictures to Mama and I have not asked where they were taken. If I'm not mistaken that black Ping hat is the one I bought you to cover up your staples after your original surgery but I could be wrong.

Regardless of when they were taken - you were HERE. You doing what you loved with the woman you loved and a friend you loved.

The other day I heard Oprah (yeah I know...you can laugh Daddy) say that every person on this planet just wants the answers to three questions...

*Do you see me?

*Do you hear me?

*Did what I say mean anything?

Yes Daddy. I saw you, I heard you and what you said meant something. Your life meant something. Pictures are just again proof that not so long ago you were alive. You were living your life to the fullest.

I only hope someday that I can answer those questions as surely as I can answer them for you. I miss you every single day. I love you.

Love,

Tisti