Bad to Worse to Worst.

I thought my day started out bad. My toddler managed to cover himself and most of the house in peanut butter. If only I could have that day every day instead of the one I ended up with. Later in the afternoon I found out an old friend had mere days left to live. Worse than my morning, but the worst was yet to come.

My phone rang about 4:45 and it was my brother telling me that my dad had had a heart attack and wasn't breathing on his own. My mom was performing CPR and waiting for the paramedics. They arrived and tried to stabilize him. They then loaded him into the ambulance and took him to the hospital, all the while doing all they could to get his heart started again. I sped out to my parents house thinking my brother would need a ride to the hospital because my mom would have gone in the ambulance with dad. I got there and my mom and brother were both still there. The first warning bells started going off in my head, but I tried to stay positive. All the positiveness I had been able to hang onto quickly evaporated upon our arrival at the hospital. They took us into one of those private rooms they always show on tv when someone is about to get bad news. That's when we were told dad's chances weren't looking good. The doctor went out to get an update and came back barely five minutes later to tell us that dad didn't make it. They just couldn't get his heart to start again. Rest in peace, Daddy. You will be missed greatly.

This was taken on my parents wedding day, 37 years ago. It kills me to say that my mom is the only member of this photo who is still with us.

                                    In loving memory of Robert Edward Dillon 5/31/52 - 01/03/11