The Most Difficult Post I've Ever Had to Write

This has been the most difficult two weeks of my life. On Sunday, July 6th, my Father passed away. It still doesn't seem real.

If you've been a reader of Ten Feet Off Beale for a while, you might recall that my Dad had CLL or Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. He lived with this disease for 13 years. He would undergo treatment and get better. He would end up in the hospital and then go home after a few days. The disease essentially made his immune system obsolete, so the real threat was infection.

I don't want to get too much into what happened here, but on Sunday, June 29th, I quickly booked a flight to New Jersey. My Dad was in the hospital with pneumonia and it wasn't looking good. I spent the week at the hospital with my entire family and close friends encouraging and praying for my Dad. This was probably the longest week of my life. We prayed and hoped and overall stayed very positive. It was an emotional roller coaster. He would improve then decline then improve again. I just knew he would get through this. I mean, he had beaten pneumonia before.

This time, however, would be different.

A week later, on July 6th, in a hospital room surrounded by his family, my Father passed away.

The visitation, funeral, and burial all seem like a blur. I just can't believe he's gone.

I will say that I am beyond thankful that he was able to attend my wedding, and that he was in relatively good health. He gave the most beautiful speech, walked me down the aisle, and danced with me like I always dreamed he would. These are memories I will truly cherish forever.


Dad, I miss you so much already and know that you will always be with me. I hold onto the fact that you are no longer suffering or in pain and that we will one day be together again. I love you.