The last Fathers Day card that Deb gave to her father before he died
Life is like a ride on an airplane
The pleasures of ups and downs of pain.
I always thought of flying as fun and carefree
A way to spend the morning, just my dad and me.
Wed fly wherever there was breakfast to be had
Not long before blueberry pancakes were the fad.
We˜d walk around the towns and explore all kinds of places
You could not wipe the smile off either of our faces.
My memories of flying are all happy and light
I think of them by day and dream of them at night.
Thats all they are now, just pictures in my mind
I view them once and then hit the rewind.
The question why still lingers heavy in my heart
And without an answer, I dont know from where to start.
All I know is that for the last four years I have tried to understand
Why the plane went down that day and the flight not gone as planned.
It was the worst day of my life, that 12″˜ of April 1997
The day that I learned of my fathers trip to heaven.
As I struggle with my feelings and my anger and my strife
I learn that Are you ready for take-off? pertains to my life.
Deb Hawkins, MA, lost her father Sheldon Rothstein, 57, on April 12, 1997, aboard a private aircraft in the Bahamas