09/22/2026
Thirty years ago, I was 17 years old and headed to Memphis to find my homecoming dress. I waved goodbye to my daddy, jumped in the car with my mom, and off we went.
I found the perfect dress. Daddy had told me to pick out something I truly loved, and the moment Mom and I saw it, we both said, “It looks like something Audrey Hepburn would wear.”
When we got back to the car, my brother called. Daddy was not doing well, and they didn’t think he was going to make it. We drove two hours home to say goodbye and learned that he had suffered a massive brain aneurysm.
Now, as my own daughter prepares to turn 17 next week, I cannot help but think about that day and how quickly life can change.
There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about my daddy and all the amazing things he did for our family. My brother and I are extremely close, and we honor him in the way we live every single day.
Later today, I’ll go to the cemetery and tell him how much I still miss him. I will continue working hard, just as he did. He had the strongest work ethic, and he taught me to love what I do with my whole heart.
I sure hope he is dancing up there with Mama, making her a filet, and drinking an ice-cold Miller Lite.
Thirty years later, I still love you and miss you more than words can say.
I love you, Daddy.
