Prayers for My Dad

My husband might be the one person who knows all of my secrets. Even those I consider to be my closest of friends and family have some gaps in their information. Some might say that I am a secretive person or guarded person. But today is one day where I would like to share some information, some information that I did not share earlier until I got the word from my mom that it would be ok.

We had known for a couple of weeks that my dad was going to the doctor’s this morning to find out why he was having so much difficulty eating. I had done some research, but didn’t really think much of it.

At 11:47 am today, I got the call from my dad. I started out the conversation as usual with the, “hey, how are you?” The reply was not one I was prepared to hear. He told me that he wasn’t good and that the doctor’s said that he had esophageal cancer.

He and my mom were headed to get more tests and information. My sister, living in Maryland, joined my parents and kept me in the loop via text message. I got the second call from my dad at 3:47 pm. He told me that he had gotten a CT scan and wouldn’t know more until the doctor called with the results, either later today or tomorrow.

We tried to keep the conversation light and upbeat. He and mom had stopped to get a milkshake, and he told me that they gave him banana instead of the vanilla he had ordered. We talked about how he and Chance, my dog, could go through cancer treatments together. We also talked about how Chance was getting away with a lot of things because he had cancer and so maybe dad could get away with a lot too.

It was at that point that I started getting choked up. I knew that as soon as he heard the sadness in my voice that our conversation would come to a close. Not because my dad doesn’t want to hear me sad, but because he and mom were not at home. He said to give the kids a hug for him and then we said our ‘I love you’s.’

My dad and I are very similar. We are both introverts who are perfectly happy sitting in a quiet room with a book or a little bit of music. We like watching sports; I even had Virginia Tech season tickets with my parents when I lived in northern Virginia because I like college football so much. I am the family outcast, not having gone to Virginia Tech when my mom, dad, and sister all did. We also have pretty much the same body type, so we try to be mindful about what we eat and how much we workout.

But in spite of our similarities, my dad and I haven’t always seen eye to eye. He’s a morning person and I am not and that has created issues for us, to say the least. He’s a runner and I am not, though I am working on it.

But my dad is an amazing dad. He’s helped me move more times than I care to count. He encourages me to sign up for races and to actually train for them. When I lived in northern Virginia and he worked in Alexandria, he would even come to my apartment two to three mornings a week to go running with me. And he teaches my sister and me by example each and every day. We tease him, saying that his nickname is Dudley Do-Right because he is always following the letter of the laws. He does have one exception, but as my grandma says, “he’s just keeping up with traffic.”

He’s also a wonderful grandpa. He traveled to Oklahoma after both my kids were born. He plays ball with the kids and lets Payton open up all his presents. He loves to read the kids books while sitting in his big red recliner and tries to help Payton learn how to play the guitar. They love going to see grandpa and I completely understand why.

My dad is a hard worker and a man of faith. I know that he will fight this cancer and we will put our trust in God. We will pray for healing, for a cure, for good doctors, and for strength.

Isaiah 41:10: Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.