Dad and the Grand Canyon
My dad died Oct 1, 2019 after a hard-fought battle with Parkinson’s disease and Lewy Body Dementia. In 2015, he told me he had a bucket list item he really wanted to check off: seeing the Grand Canyon. So I planned a family trip for Thanksgiving that year. We flew into Vegas, did some shows and sightseeing, and took a bus tour out to the Grand Canyon. It was not enough time at the canyon at all. If I could have done it over again, I would have had us at the canyon when it was warmer and stayed there longer, but I’m glad we got him there to see it.
In the days leading up to our visiting the Grand Canyon recently, I was getting more and more anxious. My only memories of this amazing place were of taking dad on his bucket-list trip.
As we were pulling in to the park, I told my husband how I had been feeling, and started crying. Some places are just tied to people. A sight, a smell, a sound can flood me with memories. I am right back to wishing I could have one more day, one more conversation, one more anything with dad. I hear all the time to remember the good times and be happy. I do, but I also feel sad sometimes. I just miss him.
