The Christmas Tree 🎄 is all lit up, but there are no presents 🎁 to gaze and dazzle upon. I thought about wrapping 🎁 presents. Then, my mind became as numb as a dead tree limb. My body froze and suddenly I began to reflect upon the earth shattering events of December 20, 2016 @ 10:00 a.m. Oh, my! There are moments in time you’ll never forget and this was one I wish I didn’t relive everyday. Here I am singing Christmas carols. Music playing in background and the smell of a pumpkin🎃 pie cooking. Not a care in the world 🌍. Scissors in hand, previewing Christmas 🎁 paper and carefully selecting the perfect wrapping paper to match their personality. Then, my phone rang. Caller ID read 📖 Al. Al? What? Why in the world would he be calling while he’s working👩‍🏭. Surely, if you know anything about my brother and our family. When it’s time to work; you work and talk later. Apprehensively, I answered the phone📲. Oh, I could here the cracky, shaky voice on the other end and my heart fell to the ground. The words. The words I never wanted to here. Then, as stoicly as possible, he said, “Sister, it’s daddy. One of the workers found him in the front of Sam Hill Fencing 🤺. They tried to revive him. You need to come.” I dropped to the floor sickened with grief and dismay. An undescribable moment in time where you feel as though your whole body has been ripped to shreds. Terry, my husband wasn’t home. Only Brock. I gathered what senses I had and called my husband. Pacing until he arrived. The first 🙋 words from Terry, ” Shannon, you don’t know how bad it is. Let’s not think the worst.” Frozen in time. No, a zombie! We left Lamar headed to Timmonsville. As we turned down Twin Church road I could feel my heart sink to the floor of the car. As we rounded the corner I kept thinking, “What will I find🔍? Is daddy 👨 o.k.? As we pulled in the parking 🅿️ lot it was quite obvious 🌊. There I saw my daddy motionless lying on the ground; stone cold 😨 dead 💀. Immediately, I flew out the SUV and ran to be by his side. Holding him. Praying that what I felt and saw was just a dream. Screaming softly inside, ” Wake Up Daddy! Come on, Wake Up! Praying to Jesus! You raised Lazarus from the dead. Please bring my daddy back.” My daddy would not want to be back on this earth. He’s having the time of his life putting fences up in Heaven. However, that doesn’t ease the loss and help with the grief each day. He’s gone. I miss him. Regrets, yeah! Just a few. What are they you maybe thinking? Most importantly, I would have not focused so much on my career. I would have come home more. Calling is great, but there’s something about being there. There’s no going back to fix it, but I can do better today. Hold your loved ones tight. Tell them often you love them. Visit and spend quality time with them. Cherish them. If you hold grudges, make amends. We are not promised tomorrow so make each day very special. As far as Christmas 🎅🎄🎁, there will be a chair for Sammy Clause. If only he were here, but he’s not and it’s tough as nails. Christmas will definitely be different and there will always be an ache and a hole in my heart. Miss ya’ so much, daddy!