Another example of always thinking of others before herself: When I hiked Volcanoes National Park in Hawaii with my daughters, 10 acres of new volcanic shelf fell into the ocean before our eyes causing a massive mushroom cloud, and we had to evacuate immediately.

My wife Laura, who had stayed behind, saw the cloud and grabbed water before beginning to run our way. We had run out of water shortly after beginning our 7 mile hike to the lava flow, and were showing signs of heat distress on our hike back in the 90 degree heat. I was having serious thoughts of calling for rescue when over the horizon an angel appeared carrying the 3 water bottles that may have saved our life.

A mother, an angel, and so very loved !

Before I went to sleep last night I begged my Dad to visit me in my dreams. I have dreamt with him a few times but never on my request.

I was really feeling out of it. I didn’t want to celebrate Father’s Day since I no longer have one physically to celebrate with. Well guess what? He came and looked so angelic and like himself.

So, I have a phobia of rodents. When the little sneaky things got in our house — Omg I’d get all dramatic and my Dad, being my hero, made me feel not so scared.

Well, in my dream, there were pigs on my roof. I go screaming inside the house, “Paaaaaaaapppiiiii! There are pigs on our roof! Call animal control!”

It’s Sunday are they open? Omg how did they get there ( I was going a thousand miles a minute) My Dad laughs and says, “Jennifer, relax, they are pigs. They will come down and go somewhere else.”

He didn’t call animal control but his reassurance that everything was going to be ok meant everything. Thank you, Papi, for stopping by. I love you. Woke up wanting to cry but all I could do is laugh. Felt so real.

Cannot believe today is my 3rd Father’s Day without my Dad. Very strange that it seems like he was just here.

Dad enjoyed the simpler things in life. Throughout my childhood and adulthood, in the morning we would walk to the Borough Hall for a delicious Father’s Day brunch. Dad loved the blueberry pancakes they served and looked forward to this brunch every year.

Then we would return home for Dad to open his presents. A favorite he would receive every year were homemade chocolate covered cherries from the local candy shop. He would always pass the box around to share with us. That’s usually the last time we saw those cherries.

We would just hang around the house all day. Dad would read his newspaper out on the deck. The trees would be blowing in the wind providing shade and the perfect breeze. Dad really enjoyed this.

Then Dad would go inside to watch his favorite baseball team play on TV, the New York Mets. After the game, he would always take the obligatory nap.

Then for dinner, some years we would go out to a restaurant. But most years, we would have a bar-b-que where Dad would man the grill. Mom finished with all the salads and corn on the cob while Dad cooked the burgers and hot dogs, to everyone’s preference.
After I was married, my husband took over the grill for Dad, giving Dad the chance to relax on his day. Those dinners out on the deck were the best!

Then we would have his favorite for dessert, strawberry shortcake. After we cleaned up, sometimes we would go out for a walk.

What I wouldn’t give for just one more Father’s Day exactly like this.

Then more recently while Mom & Dad were in assisted living, my husband and I would have brunch with them there, then later I would go out and bring back a lobster dinner for Mom (her last in 2018), a steak dinner for Dad along with dinners for my husband and I. Of course, we would have the required strawberry shortcake for dessert.

Then, unbeknownst to us, Father’s Day together with Dad in 2019 would be our last. My husband and I had brunch with Dad then later we took him out for a steak dinner to his favorite restaurant. His strawberry shortcake for dessert, of course, would be waiting for him in his room.

We almost made it to one more year in 2020; but Dad passed away from Covid on June 7th, two weeks before Father’s Day, my first without him.

Loved my daddy’s humor. Always got a kick out of giving me a hard time.

I would always say “Daddy, I’m your favorite right?” … and he would just look at me. Finally, one day he said “Yes, you are. ” I was so excited. Then he says, “You are my favorite daughter.” I was so thrilled, then I realized “Wait I’m his only daughter!”

Love this daddy of mine.

My dear brother Johnny died of Covid in the very beginning of the pandemic on Long Island. Like our father, he was an avid New York sports fan. They both particularly loved baseball — the Mets and the Yankees. I have many fond memories going with my father and brother to the Polo Grounds and Shea Stadium to see the Mets play.

My dad used to take big groups of kids from our neighborhood to all these games. I am still processing the deaths of my brother and father. I have learned keeping time in a bottle, like the Jim Croce song, has helped. I try to keep the joy that they lived alive.