Dear Daddy

Dear Daddy, 
I imagine the day I was born.   The doctor comes out of the delivery room to hand you me.  As you take me, the first words I hear spoken from you are words of affirmation, seemingly uttered oh, so, naturally.  As you speak to me, the doctor speaks, too.   Your little girl has been born with a birth defect.  Cleft lip and palate is what it is termed.  But don’t worry, Daddy, we will gather a team of specialist and will make her look as normal as possible.  As the doctor continues to speak, you look at me, tears are rolling down your face, because you are so enamored with your little girl, as if you never heard the words spoken by the doctor.

As the years go on, I grow to fall so deeply in love with you, and you me.  Thank you, Daddy,  for loving me the way you did.  I was your princess and you were my king.

I always wondered if you ever knew how much I needed you.   How much I needed those daily positive declarations reminding me of who I was in your eyes.   Oh, how I needed those looks of endearing love coming from you, my father.  

Daddy, around you,  I never felt anything but normal.  But all that came to an abrupt halt the day you were murdered.   

Daddy, you made the newspaper.  Day after day.  A news reporter said and I quote, “They are too young to realize the enormity of their tragedy.”    He was talking about me and Pete and Toni.   Daddy, I always wondered if that guy really understood the significance of his statement.   I doubt it.  But I did.  

The thought of losing you still brings tears to my eyes even today.  Oh, Daddy, I will love you forever.  Forever and ever.  I cannot wait to see you again ❤️❤️❤️  

Your daughter forever,
Lizzy

​As I penned this letter to my Daddy, fifty-one years have passed since his brutal, senseless, unsolved murder.   It took me a very long time, but I have finally made peace with it.  There is still an ache.  I really doubt it will ever go away, until I am in Heaven, until I am in his arms yet again. 
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