Miss You Dad…

Dear Dad,
Hi Dad, It’s Graham here. It’s been 8 years since I last saw you. Life has been hard without you and I really miss you. A lot has happened in the past years and I don’t know how long it will be until I can come to heaven with you, so I think it would help to just write you a letter. I want to feel that closeness with you again.
I just graduated high school, like you always wanted me to. Every time I would think about quitting and giving up on the will to turn in worksheet after worksheet, I thought of you. I thought about those times you sat me down on your bed and told me to work as hard as I can so I can have an easier adult life than you did. I made the A honor roll all the way through high school; graduated seventh in my class. Mr. McGee was a really hard teacher, just like everyone said, but I thought of you and powered through. I hope you are proud of how my schooling went. I know you were helping me the whole way from Heaven.
I told you how school went, now we should talk about the thing that was most important to both of us, sports! I continued to play sports all through high school, and I was pretty good. My days were always full of lifting, so I could be the best I could be. I was All State in football as a senior, and I know how cool we both thought that would be when I was really little. We both know wrestling always was my most challenging sport. There were so many times I thought about quitting, but I looked at your Army Bracelet. The one that the commander gave me after you died, and kept moving on. It was weird, whenever I look at that bracelet I feel like you are with me. I made it to sectionals in track, so close to state. After I lost, I felt like I let you down, but then after a while I just figured you’d be happy with my effort. Dad, you gave me so much strength, even though you were so far away.
Home has been really hard since you left. Mom and I want you to come home so bad. I miss having that guy figure close, so I could ask questions and get help through life. Mom was a train wreck when we got the news you wouldn’t be coming home. That was one of the hardest days of our lives… Why did God have to take you so soon!? It’s not fair. Why does everyone else get to have such a normal life and my life will never be normal? Mom is seeing this guy named Glen; he is awful. He hits her and there’s nothing we can do because he is the only reason we can make it by. You were such an amazing guy and now we are doomed to dealing with such a horrible man? Mom actually wants to marry him! Can you believe that; I really wish she would at least try to find someone who washes themselves? She says if they get married I will get to go to college and try to build a future for myself, I wish it didn’t have to come down to that to accomplish that. When you were home I felt as if we were a perfect family. Now that you are gone I feel like we are just a house with people surviving. We aren’t a family at all, you made us whole dad.
I am going off to college in a few months. You probably know this, but I will be going to the University of Minnesota. I want to be an Architecture major, with a minor in linguistics. When you told me you were a house contractor, I felt like I had a special connection to the field. I want to follow in your footsteps, so I can be just like you. I know college will be no cake walk, but I am hoping you will keep giving me strength, like in high school. I don’t know if I will play any sports when I am there. A part of me thinks I should focus more on my studies. Hey Dad, maybe I’ll walk on to the football team and try to land a spot. We always dreamed about playing a division one sport. Dad can you keep supporting, I know you aren’t really here and all, but I still want to just ask.
I don’t know what I am doing writing this letter… What if you never get to see it? Dad I just miss you so much. It’s hard to believe it has been eight years since you were killed, I am running out of strength to keep moving on. I am writing this to feel closer to you. There’s nothing in my life I wouldn’t give to have you here with Mom and I. I love you Dad.
Love,
Graham
Graham went outside that night, wandering through the darkness. Not knowing what to do, Graham walked to the park on the top of the hill. This spot means so much to Graham because it is the spot Graham’s father told him that he would be going off to war. That night was also the last night Graham saw his father. Graham got to the top of the hill and said a little prayer for his father. Then he took out his lighter and burned the letter so that the ashes would fly up to his father in heaven. Graham walked home that night, feeling the closest to his father he has ever been since he left.