The Protector

     My Daddy has always been my protector and the protector of the family.  He was a very silent type.  He did not need to speak much nor loud.  When he did speak, you heard him.  You remembered what he said.  I have witnessed him protecting his family on many occasions.  I have seen him make his point to folks who thought he was not serious when he spoke.  I have seen several grown men step in between him and others trying to contain him when someone said the "wrong thing" towards one of his kids.  He once told someone who had crossed the line by using me to get to someone else that there are 2 women on this Earth that you do not mess with.....  one is my wife and the other is my daughter.  This person got the point with those few words that it was time to rethink how they handled the situation.  There were no lengths he would not go to to keep his family safe.  Even as he was dying, he was putting us first.

One year ago today reality set in for my family.  We were in the cafeteria of Baptist Hospital just about to eat lunch.  It had already been a bad day for us little did we know bad was about to get worse.  "Code BLUE room 927, Code BLUE room 927".  We all froze.  The 9th floor is designated as the cardiac wing.  We did not know why they assigned Daddy to that floor.  Daddy had cancer not a bad heart.  I looked at Jimmy and said "It's Daddy" and he replied it has to be the other guy, he had just had heart surgery.  Something hit all of us and we left out of there on immediately. 
     Prior to that I had been with Daddy since he arrived at the ER.  Everyone else showed up later.  I was there waiting for him when the ambulance arrived.  He told the ambulance driver when they asked him who I was, "That is MY daughter".  Those are sweet words that still linger in my head.  We all were in the ER for a long time.  We waited and waited for some answers.  We waited and waited for Daddy to be put in a room.  When we finally got Daddy situated in a room, it was midday.  Daddy wanted us to take Momma and get her something to eat.  He wanted us to leave.  Since he was diagnosed with cancer he wanted Momma with him.  He wanted her at his side all of the time but this time he wanted her to go.  The last words he said to me was "Take your Momma to get something to eat".  Of course I did.  We all always did what Daddy told us to do.   Momma then kissed Daddy good-bye.   It did not make sense to us until days later.  He knew what was happening.  He knew he was about to leave.  He knew we did not want him to go.  He knew we needed him here.  He knew he could not stay.
      He sent us away to protect us.  He sent us away to prevent us from having to see him die.  He sent us away because he loved us.  He left this Earth doing what he had always done.....  protecting us.