Still, I wonder.

I wonder what my Dad would be like if he was still living. He died when I was just 5 years old. I have only a few memories of him, mostly happy times, like fishing or beating him in a foot race (I really did think I had beat him fair and square.) or driving the car while sitting in his lap.

My dad, James Kenneth Brasfield, USAF,
sometime before 1957.

My dad was only 35 years old when he died. He was a veteran of the Korean War (aka Korean Conflict) having served in the US Air Force with rank of Airman Second Class. I understand that is equal to E-3 rank, which is same as mine in the Army. (I was Private First Class). My aunts told me he was never the same after the war. I believe he may have suffered from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

He attempted to take his life on multiple occasions before succeeding on November 5, 1973. My mother was pregnant at the time with my baby brother, Jeff. My dad had been hospitalized for treatment associated with his suicidal attempts, making some ceramic items that I recall in the attic of my childhood home.

He is buried in Little Rock National Cemetery, Section 16, Site 506, in Little Rock, Arkansas. I remember the funeral, and the twenty-one gun salute at the grave side service.

My mom remarried when I was thirteen years old, to O'Neal Hardy from Memphis. I was uncertain how my life would change as we moved from N Little Rock, Ar. to Memphis TN a week after they married. I couldn't bring myself to call him "Dad", so I called him "Pop". He's a good man and taught me many things. I am thankful for him.

That move to Memphis seriously rocked my world, set me on a path that lead to where I am today. From Memphis, I came to Knoxville where I met Jilly. I wouldn't change a thing.

Today, I called Pop on the phone to wish him a happy Father's Day.

Still, I wonder...

Happy Father's Day 2015,
Dadofmykids

Two Pictures. Seven Years.

This weekend, we went to Pigeon Forge, TN and the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. That's a mouthful. All the kids were with us, except Sean. He had to work. My mom and dad met us there. Daniel and his wife, Kelli, brought Drake, out six month old grandson. It was a good weekend.

2004

My mom and dad's car over heated Friday evening, so we located a local repair shop and dropped off the car Saturday morning. They were scheduled to attend a wedding in Gatlinburg on Saturday and caught a ride with others of the wedding party.

2011

Jill and I took everybody else up to Newfound Gap for pictures. We wanted to have a picture of the kids there because we have one taken there about seven years ago. It was a cool idea to have pictures of the kids at the same location from different times. It was cold up there. Brrrr. In the main picture - the ONLY one with everybody looking in the camera's direction - we had several kids doing their own thing. We like that.

Along the way, we stopped in Gatlinburg so some of the kids could buy UGLY hats. We saw Santa Claus sitting on a bench, decked out in a Santa themed Hawaiian shirt. So we took a picture with him.

You'll see a lot these pictures in the video below.

It was a great weekend, rolling with the flow, as usual. Never a dull moment. What a blessing.

God bless,
Dadofmykids.

Day 38 of #40Days - Letter From Jill

In the final days of this series, Jilly asked me to let her post this:

Dear Andy,

I want you to know how proud and thankful I am to be your wife. You and I have been through a lot together, but it has only made us stronger as individuals, and as a couple. I have so many memories during our dark days that remind me just how much you love me:

• Sleeping on a cold, tile hospital floor while I was having a miscarriage.
• Standing by Dad's bedside with me as he was dying.
• Allowing me to spend so much time with Greg in his final few weeks of life.
• Lying awake countless nights with me while I cried over our precious Georgia Rose.
• Conspiring with Steven to make Christmas '09 one that I would never forget. And I could go on and on.....

When I was a little girl, all I really wanted to do when I grew up was to marry a really hot, awesome man and have lots of kids. That dream has come true! You are everything I hoped for in a husband and so much more. The world would be a better place if every man was as committed to their wife and kids as you are.

My daddy used to say, "I could have looked the world over and would have never found any man I liked any better to marry my baby." You are the only boyfriend I ever had who met Dad because you were the only one I felt was worthy. I knew he would love you and you and your accomplishments made him SO proud.

So, thank you for loving me despite my many, many screw-ups. Thank you for always being a rock I can lean on and for being my very best friend. Thank you for your commitment to your family. Words can't express my love for you. I am so thankful God chose you to be MINE!

I love you,
Jill

This is # 38 of Forty Days.  Learn more here.