Eulogy For Father

My great-grandmother was the matriarch of my family. When I was in seventh grade, around thirteen years old, she passed away due to breast cancer. This misfortune created an extremely difficult time for me because, not only was I adjusting to the environment of junior high, but many other issues were occurring in my life; this was the third death that I was having to deal with. Unfortunately, one of the previous deaths (that I was still trying to hurdle through and come to terms with), had occurred almost exactly a year before the passing of my great-grandmother. The second death that I had gone through occurred only one or two months before my great-grandma has passed. All of this turmoil created numerous internal conflicts for me, but also taught me a key lesson to keep note of, for the rest of my life.

Few hours of sleep, just worked a tiring shift, but my dad still gets up to go to our sports meets. My dad sacrifices so much to make sure that we are happy. My dad never misses our sports and will go with no sleep so he can come. My dad works countless hours to buy us the extra things. My dad always goes above and beyond for us and shows us that you need to work hard for your family. That is why my dad is my Michigan hero.

When I got my family was around our wooden table. My dad on his soft voice said “ I don’t think your grandpa will go through one more night, you need to call him” he cried. I felt like I couldn’t do it, felt so week and a huge hole in my stomach, something I’ve never felt before, I grabbed the phone and when I was about to call, the phone ringed, I passed the phone to my dad, It was my aunt sobbing and barely able to speak, then she said “ he passed away, I’m sorry honey” I couldn’t believe it I didn’t even had the chance to say

I have had many family members of mine pass away, but the one death that I am going to share is the one with my poppop, Daniel DelCasale, on my dad’s side of the family. It was not the first death of a relative of mine, but it was the first death that had an effect on me and that I remember having a reaction to. Both of my grandmothers passed away by the time I was six years old. I did not go to my mommom’s funeral on my mom’s side because I was only five years old. I did, though, go to my Nana’s funeral, however, I do not remember going or anything for some reason.

My dad's brother told me to stop playing the song, now was not the time to be playing music. He then told me to come into the kitchen with him, after going into the kitchen, I noticed prepared food and deserts on all of the counters and then I was confused. If there was a party going on why was everybody crying? He turned me around, so I was facing him as I was scanning the kitchen trying to understand why all this prepared food was here, and no one was having any. My uncle Ray looked me right in the face, and said one sentence that changed my life forever. And that sentence was “YOUR SISTER JACKIE IS DEAD.” Jackie was sixteen years old, at the time of her death. Jackie died as the result of a car crash on the way to the picnic. If my two friends and I had gone to the picnic, we would have suffered the same fate. Needless to say I Ioved my sister Jackie very much.

It was September 28, 2009, and I was on my way to Ocoee Middle School. My cousin, who I was close with at the time, gets on the bus and asks me “ So you found out what happen?” I looked at her all confused and said to her “ What are you talking about?” She had said to me that, my grandfather had passed the day before. My cousin looked at me like expecting me to cry, but in that moment all I could say to myself was I didn’t get to say goodbye. My cousin in that moment started to regret telling me, but I had reassured her that I was happy that she had told me. I got to school and went throughout my first three periods feeling nothing but emptiness and as if a part of me was gone. As I walked into my fourth period class it seemed as if those emotions

I later got tired and gave up on the matter. I was hurt and broken

My stepfather, who my mom just married, gave us the opportunity to meet this one man that used to work for him, his name was Curtis. He had cancer and he only had months to live. I started to create a bond with Curtis, we talked about sports and had a good time together. Then the last visit I could see him, I didn’t go, he died the very next day. I regret never seeing him on that last day I could have saw him. It haunts me every day, what could we have talked and laughed about. I was able to see Curtis’ burial at the Monte Vista Cemetery, the last goodbye, but definitely not the last time that we will laugh together.

Waking up and not seeing him, not seeing him when I came back from school, not seeing him at my games. This soon became as an everyday thing. I would call every other 2 days. There would be times that I wouldn’t talk to him for 5 days. His schedule with mine weren’t the same. While I was at school he would be sleeping. While I was sleeping he was working. Sundays were the only days that he wouldn’t work and the days I could talk to him.

My family is about money; you should have a job that's all about money. Don't worry about spending time with your wife and kids because you must provide for your family. It's all about money. I remember when I was growing up my mom and dad will be fighting about money. My dad spends about 13,000 a year on lottery tickets, that's why we have money problems. I have seen money splint up families and friends. I am 28 years old and the only thing that I know about my father is he was born in Alabama. He never spent any time with me or any of his other kids or said anything positive. He tells me to get out his face and leave him alone, go and play some were, and talk to me like am a slave. And the only time he talks to me is when it came to money, example: Why you won't to be in the band? That cost money. My dad and me never spent time with each other unless it is was

I want to start off by saying thank you to everyone that has helped me get this far. I wouldn't be where I am without those people. Specifically, I want to thank my mom, David, and my brother. They had faith in me all along and gave me a lot of support. They have been a huge part of my recovery. I also want to thank my best friend Caitlen for always sticking by me. I also want to thank my VR counselors. First, it was Jay, and now it's Debbie. I want to thank them for making it possible for me to be here. And most importantly, I want to thank CTN for helping me get to where I am today. They always saw the potential in me and never gave up on me.

So yesterday I received a call from one of my administrators at my High school, that one of our students took his own life yesterday. This information has been real hard to deal with as a father and a School Resource Officer. I talk with these kids all the time when I'm at the High school and I do my best to listen and get them the help they need. This has come to show me that even if a kid looks happy you just never know what is really going on in there life. I joked and talked about the Marine Corp with him all the time and never saw any signs that he was unhappy. Kelly you will be missed by everyone at Toppenish High school. You always made the faculty and administrators laugh and made our days brighter. I know you would have made a great

Ed doesn’t care. He has lived long enough to realize it doesn’t matter what people think. His hair is balding on the top, goes down to about his shoulders, and is as white as snow. He wears the same outfit everyday: a battered pair of jeans, ford belt buckle, and boots. He doesn’t wear a shirt, I always think he wakes up and can’t find a shirt so he makes himself just decent enough to go outside. He has tattoos all over his chest, and could be the scariest looking person I have ever seen. When we knock on his door at about 3 p.m. we assume he is just waking up because he looks like he has seen daylight for the first time in a week. He opens the door and gives us a grin of relief and says “You here to mow the lawn? She probably needs it. How long has it been?” “About a month” I reply. He hands Camden $30 and we got to work. Ed looks up at the sky and says a work I can’t say in this paper then he goes back inside.

Daddy? It has always been just my mother and I. There was never a really strong father figure in my life since the day my father left when I was just two years old. He just packed his bags and left, as simple as that, I never saw him ever again. (until a few years later) I wasn’t able to get to know him, didn’t get to find out what kind of food he liked, the TV shows he watched or even if he ever loved my mother and I. I don’t remember ever writing him a Father’s Day card or feeling the warmth of his arms around me, I was too young to remember ever having his love, I don’t remember much about him at all. To me he’s a mere shadow, a fuzzy memory that never seems to fail to creep into my dreams and haunt me. I can’t escape him he’s everywhere, every father I see with his family having a picnic at the beach, in every couple that I see holding each other on

I’ve had many family members of mine pass away, but the one death that I am going to share is the one with my grandfather, Daniel DelCasale, on my dad’s side of the family. It wasn’t the first death of a relative of mine, but it was the first death that had an effect on me and that I remember having a reaction to. Both of my grandmothers passed away by the time I was six years old. I didn’t go to my grandmother’s funeral on my mom’s side because I was only five years old. I did, though, go to my Nana’s funeral, but I don’t remember going or anything for some reason.