PSALM 23
I’m going to say something controversial; Dempsey was a Jerk…………….for leaving as early as he did!
MILD LAUGHTER….
I’m not happy about it, none us are and I am going to tell him as much, a LONG, LONG time from now.
I don’t have a sermon for you, Dempsey didn’t want that.
Strong wind rattles the windows in the Mausoleum, I look at the casket….mild laughter. I told you!
I am going to be informal today, as a matter of fact, Pierce hand me the box.
Pierce hands me a box, and I put on the shirt that I wear when I go fishing with Pierce and Demps. I ask Susan, if wearing the fishing hat was going too far. She laughs and gives me the green light,
I’m going to wear this outfit one more time with my guy. As a matter of fact I brought a hat that he borrowed a couple of years ago. It didn’t fit me that well before he wore it and now it definitely doesn’t fit me.
I walked over and put it on the casket.
I think Demps should wear this. I figure the sillier I look, the easier it will be for me to get through this.
How lucky are we that we’ve been able to gather to celebrate so many joyous moments. We’ve been together for: dances, graduations, engagements, holidays, weddings, births and so much more. Today we grieve.
I’m not supposed to be up here. I feel like there is an innate, predisposed aversion between: father of beautiful daughter and high school boyfriend. Which is another reason why I am mad at him. Can you imagine the irony of the conversations that I was gong to have with him eight years from now? NINE, make it nine years from now? I can see us sitting around a backyard fire at Christmas, (he made the best fires).
Acknowledging the Fireman in uniform: All of those fires were by the book gentlemen, they were all strictly by code.
Addressing the attendees, Can you imagine if I get Demps disqualified from his last call on a technicality? Upon further review, based ion new evidence, unfortunately Dempsey no longer qualifies for the ringing of the bell.
Laughter
We’d be sitting around the fire with a highball and a Cigar (if Pierce wasn’t around) and I would say to him: can you believe that she laughs at EVERYTHING that he says? Most of the stuff is not even funny but all she does is giggle. At least I was witty, right? It would’ve been fun to commiserate with him..
I remember the first time that Dempsey was annoyed with me, I’m guessing that it was just about 24 years ago. I worked at Baskin Robbin’s, when my shifts were over on the weekends, I would come over to spend time with Ash, I’d make her laugh. For some reason, I had a couple of Ash’s text books. I don’t know why I had them, I’m sure she left him them at my house while “studying” I know I wasn’t copying her work. We only did that once and it led to our biggest fight to date. I’ve tried to remember why I had them, I can’t but for some reason it was imperative that I get them back to her before school the next day. It was a Sunday night, I got off late and our agreed upon plan was that I would leave her text books in her 96 Camry (Demps had good taste).
Now, the last thing I would do is point the finger at Ashleigh on the day we bury her Dad but the car was supposed to be unlocked. I pulled in to the alley way behind her house, pulled the door handle and the loudest car alarm rang out! I had a couple of choices, I could run and drive away and everyone would know it was me or I could stand there and take my medicine. The lights were out, everyone was asleep, the back porch light flicked on and the door opened. Dempsey's 6’4” frame filled the doorway.
“GEORGE?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
My answer was preposterous, nothing I was going to say was going to make sense. “I’m returning Ashleigh’s text books, sorry”.
LAUGHTER
I have a couple of tiny fish stories for you because when you leave us too early you don’t get the big fish stories. In 2008, Ashleigh and I took our parents to Estes Park. It was a bucket list type of trip. We rented out a huge house with large windows and a big deck. The guys would grill out every night, smoke cigars and toast each other. One of the “bucket list” items was to fly fish the Big Thompson.
Dempsey, Mom, Dad and I split up. Mom and Dad went with one guide and Demps and I went with another. It was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect, tell tale sign of anyone describing a fishing trip and they start with the weather is a good indicator that the fishing wasn’t not that great.
We enjoyed the journey, we learned about the biology of the eco system “Triston, you would’ve come in handy”, no one fell in the river. We caught a few fish but Demps caught the tiniest fish of all time and we didn’t let him forget it.
Later that night we compared fishing stories. Mom and Dad had a record day, caught all five species of trout twice over and Demps and I barely caught two. It was a great trip!
We’ve fished the Inter-coastal in Pensacola for years. After 2022 we decided we caught enough Spanish Mackerel, Sheep head and Remora. On the final reel of the day, Demps snagged a fish that was having a bad day. The fish didn’t take his bait, the little Red Snapper just got hooked in the side as Demps was reeling his line in. Amazingly, the fish was smaller than the one he caught in the Thompson 14 years prior.
In 2023 we ditched the Inter-coastal and headed out to the deep waters. All year, Pierce and I told Pop that he was gong to catch that Red Snapper again and that this time he would be all grown up, he would be big enough to keep. We all caught a lot of fish that day, Demps waited until the last hour to catch that Snapper and it was all GROWN UP! We celebrated him, “POP, we told you POP, we told you were going to catch him again! He laughed his laugh.
We kept the kids home Thursday after sharing the news with them. I don’t get called in to fix Audra’s hair very often, I’m an admirable sub when needed. Friday was one of those days, I asked Audra how she wanted her hair and she replied “high pony” (which is my specialty).
I was looking at Audra, she said to me with a smile on her face “everything is your specialty” She didn’t say that because that is how she felt, she said it because I tell her (regardless of whatever it may be) “that is my specialty”. We had a sweet moment, (which I desperately needed).
I sprayed her hair with all of the stuff, brushed it, pulled it back and twisted it in to a pony. All the time I thought to myself, I bet it didn’t feel like all that long ago Demps was fixing his girls hair.
My tradition with the kids is on Fridays before any extended break, is to get donuts. That day was no exception, we parked, Audra grabbed my hand and was skipping down the sidewalk. Her pony tail was bouncing with the rhythm of her skip. She asked me while she was skipping, “Daddy, what are you going to miss most about Pop”?
You never know when you’re going to get a knot of grief in your throat. I instantly had a big one and it became hard to swallow. I choked out “I’m going to miss his laugh honey, I loved his laugh.
Knowing that she had been thinking about it, I asked her, “how about you babe, what are you going to miss most”? She replied, “Well, Pop was my pool buddy, so I’m going to miss swimming with him”.
At this moment I choked up, and took several seconds to compose myself.
We’re just so lucky to have had so many good times together.
It doesn’t seem like it was that long ago, that Demps and I were standing in that alley. I am the same age today as Dempsey was. I’ve been thinking a lot about that encounter this week.
IF we were in a sitcom, and that scene was frozen while Ron Howard narrated over it:
“Little did Dempsey know, that this kid that’s not grown in to his nose or ears yet, with pralines and cream and mint chocolate chip all over his shirt will be at the end of the aisle that he walks his daughter down, will preside over his youngest daughter’s wedding and deliver his Eulogy.
We really aren’t here for very long.
“George, What are you doing?"…….
The answer today is the same as it was 25 years ago…..Whatever your Daughter wants me to do Demps! Forever and Ever….Whatever she wants. And Now….Whatever Susan needs too.
We Thank You God for life and the joy of living it. Amen.
My Experiences are new to me, the lessons learned are probably not new to you. Most of the time, I’m just trying to figure out the Silver and Black Lining.
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