You were not there to play catch with or to teach me to drive, or even to send me off on the prom. You came into my life when I was making a drastic change. You helped me thru when I needed a father to speak to. When I needed advise, you would stop and listen anytime I asked.  When I ended my career in the Air Force and started a business, I could count on you to tell me the rights and wrongs of treating employees and business dealings . Sitting on your deck or by my pond we would usually chat about my work and how I was doing. You always would say how impressed you were of what I had accomplished. Now that you are gone, I missed those times more than I would have ever imagined. It is much harder without your ear to hear me.  I am doing my best still, knowing that you are still watching. I will always remember those talks from you. You were not at my birth, or for my first lost tooth. But you were my father during the most crucial times in my life. You are always in my heart and thoughts.