Recently my father passed away.  It’s been one of those times that I saw where God’s hand almost everyday. I saw it in myself that I called to Him instead of turning away and I was thankful. However it was still hard. It was still hard because my dad left my life almost 10 years and I am pulled in out of nowhere to take care of the end of his life. At no point did I ever mind taking care of things in this last week, it was nice to honor who my dad was to me at one point in my life.

Tomorrow is his memorial that I have set up and I wanted to share what I will be sharing.

Thank you all for coming to pay our last respects for my father Thomas Joner. I’m here today to remember the dad that I knew as a little girl. To remember his big belly and loud voice. To remember his heart that was completely mine when I was a little girl.
When I think of my dad,
I remember a loud swede who didn’t mind being in your face.
I remember my dad always feeling free to visit anyone at anytime without any notice.
I remember sums, sizzler’s and lucky dragon for their buffet and hour long meals.
I remember him coming home from work and always having a small gift to spoil me.
I remember him calling me Kookos and flashing his croked smile to me.
I remember driving until we saw snow and pulling over to play in it.
I remember laying on his lap in church when i didn’t want to go to the kids program because Phil was making me sleepy.
I remember getting Thrifty’s Ice cream with him after church.
I remember all the pancakes he made me in shapes of mickey mouse and in the letter K… with lots of butter.
I remember anytime it was his birthday, it was mine as well even though mine was 2 months away.
I remember camping and every time I burnt my marshmallow, he’s eat it and give me his perfect golden brown one.
I remember house sitting at the Veblin’s and swimming in their pond with him when it got to hot.
I remember him leaving Star Trek on all night and his huge snore.
And I will always remember that same snore I heard from him the day he went to Heaven.
My dad was someone who I know loved the Lord. It is the most peaceful feeling that I have to know that he is in heaven right now next to my Abba.
I don’t know very much about my dad, and that’s okay, because what I do know is that I had his heart all his life. It seems selfish of me but thats all this daddy’s girl ever wanted. I didn’t always know it, but now I do and that’s better than never. I can be so lucky now that he will always be with me in his best state ever.

Later this summer, his ashes will be scattered in the Pacific Ocean at Bodega Bay and Santa Monica…