December 2017

December has never been my favorite month...not since Papa died in 2002.

Well, we lost Dad, (Mike, Nick's dad,) Dec. 25, 2017.  Fifteen years and 17 days after my dad.

Tomorrow is his memorial.

His illness was relatively short, and completely unexpected.  I am a word person, and I can't put into words the pain of watching Nick and Holly deal with this loss, the pain of seeing Paul without his best friend, my mom missing her friend and reliving her own loss of my dad, and my own pain of not only reliving losing Papa but also losing my other dad.  The man who took us on trips so that we could experience places we'd never be able to go to on our own.  Who watched with glee as I saw Italy for the very first time.  Who saw the simple joys I found in even going to my first Italian grocery store right after arriving in Rome when everyone wanted to sleep but I couldn't from excitement.  He found every bathroom for me when I needed them.  He enjoyed my first time snorkeling in Hawaii. I was terrified to put my face in the water.  But then I couldn't get enough.

I could go to him when I just needed a "Dad" ear.  And now that's gone.  And I see that loss in an even bigger scale in Holly and Nick's faces.

Not even 24 hours later we lost Pete.  Another stubborn Italian man, who I saw as a father figure as well.  Something about him reminded me of Papa.  I don't think I've even processed his death yet.

I don't have anything more to say.  So I'll just leave these here.

Remembering Mike

https://youtu.be/l8JCFPp44sk

Akron Beacon Journal Obit

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/ohio/obituary.aspx?n=michael-locascio&pid=187737477

Lake Havasu City News Herald

http://www.havasunews.com/obituaries/michael-locascio/article_fd746646-f115-11e7-8dce-4fd559479244.html

Paradise Poem

http://arloswords.blogspot.com/2008/07/paradise.html

Mike's Bible Based Belief of What Happens When Someone Dies

https://www.jw.org/finder?wtlocale=E&docid=502013274&srcid=share