Donde esta, Papa?

                            

                          

 

In Loving Memory of Virgil Wayne Carpenter

September 13, 1932 - December 17, 1991

 

Today is the Day of the Dead.  For those of us from Mexican families.. it is a day in which we honor our loved ones whom have passed on.

I miss my Dad.  After he died, my sister and I were talking about various things ... our memories of him.  I always knew I was his favorite... even though I frustrated him at times.  I still knew I was his "little girl".  Well.. this was one of those things I never said out loud because I didn't want my sister to feel like she wasn't any body's favorite... but after Dad passed away and we  were talking, Susan said.. "You know.. I always felt like I was Dad's favorite."  I was so thrilled to learn that she felt that way... because.. well.. I was his favorite, but it was nice that she never felt like less than that.   But of course, the really amazing thing is that Dad managed to make us both feel that way.  I don't know how he did it, but what an awesome gift he gave to us... two daughters who grew up feeling like Daddy's Little Girl. 

When Kendra was little, her and my dad were thick as thieves when it came to sneaking candy from Grandma.  He'd send Kendra in to the kitchen, where she would look up Grandma with those big green eyes (the same green eyes that my dad had) and ask if she could have some "red candy" please (they were the hard candy that is strawberry flavored, wrapped like strawberries).  My mother couldn't resist that little girl and she'd give Kendra a few pieces...  then Kendra would climb up into Grandpa's lap and they would share her booty.  LOL.. they would go on like this all afternoon.

My parents both worked when we were in school.  My mother worked the swing shift at the hospital and my dad was a mail carrier.  The only time that we had a sitter was during Christmas, because my dad would put in a lot of overtime with all the extra mail that comes that time of year.  We had a lot of face time with our parents.  I know it was motivated by the savings of not having daycare for us, but the positive side to them working different shifts is that we were always with one of them.

When we were young, he'd take us shopping for our mom at Christmas time.  He would let us pick out what we thought Mom would like.  He never limited us to just perfume.. and he NEVER bought something for her from us without us being there.

Dad met my mom while he was in the Army.  He was stationed at Ft. Huachuca with my mom's older brother, Chan. On the long weekends, Chan would bring my dad home with him to stay with my mom's family.  When my dad separated from the Army, he asked Mr. Acevedo for my mother's hand in marriage.  He got permission and they were going to be married in a year, during that time, my dad was supposed to be working  and saving up for that day.

But just a few months later, when my mom's sister was getting married, my dad came back to attend the wedding and see my mother. (She was in Arizona, but my dad had gone back to Washington state to live with his Aunt while he worked).  Seeing my mother again made it very difficult for him to leave without her, so they eloped that weekend after her sister's wedding.

He said he couldn't live without her any more.

One of the best legacies that my dad gave me was being a positive role model of what a loving husband should be, and what an involved father should be.  Because of the love that I saw every day of my life, I was able to pick a good man. 

I miss my dad.