Sunday Morning Coffee Musings: My Father, My Best Friend

And just like that, on Wednesday, April 8, 2026 at 9:24pm, my dad sailed his ship towards the lighthouse in the spiritual realm. And he is no longer on this earth. In my eyes, he won his war with Parkinson’s and he did it with grace until the bitter end. And yes, the end was bitter. From December 2025 until last week my dad had been in and out of the hospital and two rehab places. It was in this last rehab place he transitioned. This is very difficult to write as I still can’t believe it really happened. So, my world stopped a couple of Fridays ago when it was decided he should go on hospice care. He didn’t make it one full day on hospice.

I went to see him Wednesday morning and stayed about 3 or 4 hours. I will have to tell you about our last shenanigan later. But when the aide came to give him a bath, I stepped out and went onto the porch of the facility to sit in the rocking chair. I love sitting and rocking. When I got up about 20 minutes later, I saw a shiny piece of metal. It was a quarter with bats on the back of it. I thought it interesting and looked up the spiritual meaning of bats. When I walked into his room, there was a quarter by his bathroom door. It had ships on the back of it. I knew what that meant. He was a ship sailing towards the lighthouse. My dad liked lighthouses and I had a painting of one that I was going to hang in his room once he returned home. He asked me about it several times in the hospital and rehab. I told him I was waiting for him to come back home to present it and hang it. The artist was one of the ladies who lived in the house I live in now.

The bats’ spiritual meaning was that of a great life change was coming and one would be guided by ancestors through this great change. I said many things to my dad who could no longer talk but could move his mouth at times. He could still hear and he was visited daily by family. On that day before I left I kissed him on the forehead and instead of saying “I love you” I said, “I love you so much” and that I would be back later. I walked away but turned around and said “I love you dad.” Little did I know but, not surprisingly I would be back that night. I received the phone call as I was looking up O2 stat readings hoping it would tell me something different. I knew it meant his oxygen was too low to get a reading. It was the second day. I was hoping he could hang on through the weekend.

So, I haven’t been posting the A to Z Challenge and probably will not finish it. That’s okay. It’s life. Right now I don’t know what I feel as we plan his HOMEGOING CELEBRATION. I have not had a big cry. I have not cried. I have been sad and angry. And in disbelief. I have had many questions for God but not expecting any answers. My dad was well loved and respected in the family, in the religious community, in the neighborhood, in life. He actually lived up to the Christian pastor and man. I don’t know how he did it but, I am sure it was with God’s grace and mercy. He was not perfect as in he got everything right but he was as close to righteousness as I’d ever seen. Righteousness means in right standing with God or in alignment with God or the things of God. He was humble and approachable. He was a jokester, prankster and happy go lucky. And on rare occasions, I would see that Aquarian temper flare. He didn’t take himself too seriously.

He was a dad many claimed and many said, I wish I had a dad like yours. He did all of the fun things but when he meant business, you took heed. My dad drove us and friends and the kids in the neighborhood everywhere. He picked up and dropped off. He played dolls with me. He raced the kids on the block and won. He played some football with my brothers and kids. He taught me how to throw a football. Most importantly, he laid a sound foundation of Christ in my life and lived what he taught. I can’t say that about too many.

I loved my dad. I was a daddy’s girl. I am a daddy’s girl.

~Nikki

(In the back ground of the photo is my eldest brother who passed away due to complications of Covid 5 years ago. He loved his pops, too.)