American Hospice Foundation, Washington DC, USA
-SCHOOL CORNER-
| What If? ( A Teen's Thoughts in the Aftermath of Her Father's Death) |
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| Grieving Children |
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By Maykayla Hamilton "What" and "If" are two very simple words but put them together and face a lifetime of worry and regret. "What if" is a saying I learned about all too well after I lost my father in September of 2008. He died very suddenly. I have wished for a long time I could go back and have a chance to say good bye. Recently I was asked what I would say if I could change my last moments with my dad. I was so excited to write about this topic until I sat down to begin. Suddenly I had a million things to say and picking just one seemed impossible. The last time I saw my dad was on September 6, 2008. We went to breakfast at his favorite restaurant. I was in a hurry and I had a little bit of an attitude. The last thing I told him was that I loved him and he responded in his usual sarcastic tone saying, "I love you too, brat." I wish I hadn't been rushing or hadn't had an attitude, but I can't change that now. I learned a lot about my dad after he died. I learned that he loved me much more than I knew. I learned that although he never told me how proud he was of me, he told everyone else. I still talk to my father everyday. I tell him about things that are happy and things that are sad. I tell him about things that would make him so proud and about things that would most likely get me grounded if he were still here. I tell him I will always be his baby girl. He's not gone forever, just for now. Many people wonder "what if" for their whole life, but not me. |