A second challenge tile for Valentangle... and more.

For some time now, my posts have been quite short and to the point.  I have been tied up with personal business and saved most of my down-time strictly for family and tangling.  I'd like to share a bit now with you about why I've been so busy.

While I was on vacation in Florida this past November, I received some devastating news.  My father, my sweet, amazing Daddy, was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, and it had already at the time of discovery spread to his liver and many of his lymph nodes.  There was no question of treatment...only of easing his suffering as much as we could.  And I live a thousand miles away from their home.

I am fortunate beyond words in some ways.  Foremost, to have had this wonderful man be my father in the first place is beyond awesome.  Second, my job allows me to work from anywhere.  And my daughter's school has been wonderfully caring and has helped us manage my daughter's schoolwork so that we could both be there with my parents most of the last 2 months.

Surrounded and embraced by my mother, my sister, and me, my father died on January 25.  There is a piece of me missing now, and I know I now have a space that will never be filled.  I will just have to learn to love the echo that this hollow place makes, and I'm filled with such wonder that the very last lucid thing he said to me was, "I sure do love you."

This tile has no hearts in it...just love, and the mystery of life. It's a tangled mess of lines merging--coming from, going to, and bridging the unknown with LOVE.

I'm going to miss you, Daddy.