I have overcome many situations, as my fear of the dark, but nothing as awful this.  Over the years I had help to overcome my dad’s death from people at my church, in my family, and many others.  I have always been frightened to tell my story, but not anymore.  Knowing I have a safe place to talk about my father, helped get my out how I feel about him.  “Our dead are never dead to us, until we have forgotten them,” ~George Eliot.  I never forgot my dad or what happened to him and I never will.  From the past to the present, this is the story of my father’s death and how I overcame, but never forgot.
     My dad always tried to keep a outstanding relationship with me even through the hard times.  The most caring person I know aside from my mom.  He always had a reason for what he did and always did it out of love for his family.  One of the few people who I came to when I had a terrible day because he almost always knew and understood what I going through.  Though I through rough times, he always found ways to pick me up.  My dad, someone I could rely on to keep me protected and cheerful weather it be talking or taking me out somewhere to entertain me.  Sometimes out of the blue he surprised me with a gift, one time my brother and I had wanted a game for our DS’s.  When we were spending the night at my aunt’s old house, my dad drove up to the store and surprised us with these two games.  My dad always kept an incredible relationship with me, if only he were still here to have those incredible adventures with me again.
      On that fateful day something that impacted me immensely, my dad’s death.  One day I had woken up to the sound of my dad saying it is time to get up and eat breakfast.  It is only about 7:00 A.M., I am still tired, and with two weeks left till school I needed as much sleep I could get.  I look up and it is a sunny, and about 60 degrees outside.  I dressed for the day as soon I fully woke up and headed down our stairs slowly to see cereal at the island.  I had no idea why we had woken up early, my dad soon explained that we were going to watch my brother in the parade and then go to my younger cousins birthday.  We quickly ate, and those who were still in their pajamas dressed for the day. 
     We eventually situated ourselves in the car and drove off to see the parade.  We had a thirty minute drive ahead of us and then I decided to fall asleep for that time.  When I woke up, we were in the cheery town of Elk Rapids for the Harbor Days parade.  With traffic, parents chasing their children, and others trying to park, we drove past and dropped my brother off a couple of blocks away because most of the roads were blocked off.  So, after we dropped him off we searched for another fifteen minutes for a parking spot and finally found one about five blocks away.  We tried to stay in the shade as much as possible because it is supposed to get warm today.  We walked passed many houses before getting to the street where we then had to find a place to stand with my family in a concert crowd.  After meeting up with my grandma, my aunt and uncle, and my cousins we found a place to stand on a corner by Chef Charles.  We watched the firefighters, the floats that passed out candy and trinkets to the kids, and then the band played.  The song they played the fight song, and incredibly well for having to walk down the street.  After the parade ended, we picked up my brother at the high school.  The streets were crowded and it took us about 15 minutes to get to the high school.
     After picking up my brother we drove out of Elk Rapids and to my aunt's house somewhere by Ellsworth.  I fell asleep halfway there, and in thirty minutes we were there.  My aunt’s house, decorated with birthday signs and balloons for the birthday boy.  My uncle prepared a barbecue as usual and the aromas could be smelt throughout the house even though he cooked outside.  After about what seem three hours of wait we were finally able to eat.  Everybody lined up in the kitchen to avoid a large crowd and grabbed our food and headed outside.  As we were eating, the parents finished their food and in about fifteen minutes set up a table for the cake outside.  After another twenty minutes when everybody's food settled and the kids were running around, they brought the cake out and everybody gathered around to sing happy birthday to my cousin.  It took about five minutes to court the cake but then the crowd of kid came in and took a piece of cake and a scoop of ice cream.  When night started to fall, we decided to started a campfire to warm everybody up and brought the presents outside.  After many pictures and much present opening by the birthday boy everybody started to get tired and everybody started to file out.
     We stayed for about fifteen more minutes because my dad, acrossed the street with my uncle and my second cousin, at a free country concert.  When they finally came back we were ready to leave and my family started to walk up my aunt and uncles hill with my dad.  It looks as if he is tired and then I help him into the passenger seat.  My mom sat in the driver’s seat and we drove off in the blackness of the night.  We were about three minutes into the drive when my dad seemed to be falling asleep.  He looked fine because he had a long night.  After another half a minute he started to loosen his neck brace, from his surgery in the beginning of the summer.  She told my brother to call the ambulance and tell them to meet us at the local gas station.  He had said something but we never knew what he had said.  He closed his eye and never opened them again.  When we were at the gas station it took as if an hour went by before the ambulance arrived.  They took him to the hospital anyway, even though proven pointless.  On that Harbor Day my dad, Michael Sr., died in the passenger seat of our Suburban.
     “I never forget, remember that.  Not an action, not a name, not a face,” ~ Piper Laurie.  I will never forget my dad but I do not have to dwell on the fact that my dad is not here.  There are many people who have helped me through my rough time.  We were given about five lasagna's after from people trying to help.  From my two churches to a group called Michael’s Place, it became easier to accept and talk about it.  My pastor, Pastor Jason, said something that stuck with me, it will never get easier, but it will get less hard to face.  An organization called Michael’s Place took my family in and provide a meal for families who have lost somebody and are grieving.  They helped me to express my feelings and make it easier to talk about.  My family also supported me in a positive way by giving me advice and help me to talk about “the day”.  Throughout the two years there has been a longing for my father until these people came in and helped me fill the hole.  Then this past summer somebody named Micah came into my life.  He soon proposed to my mom and became my step dad.  He helped provide support in the house where my mom could not and bring in an extra income.  Overall, my life has changed for better and for worse but it will never be the same.
     Now that my story is out it is time to wrap it up.  “Every story has an ending but in life, every ending is just a new beginning,” ~ Uptown Girls.  Unfortunately my dad died, but because he did I became the person I am today.  Though I have my ups and downs, I can always remember my dad and know that if he could see me now he’d be proud.  The memory of him keeps me going and makes me more open minded to others situation.  Also through my two churches, Michael’s Place, and other people I have learned how to remember the memories that make me smile rather that the ones that don’t.  I will always remember my dad and never forget what happened to him.