June Editor's Letter

I have put off writing this June edition of my editor’s letter for just as long as I can. For many years, June has been one of my very favorite months, as it brings the start of summer, my most beloved season. But this year, I will face my first Father’s Day without my dad (Pops, as I called him). 

I know that dealing with the loss of a parent is a completely normal and expected part of life. And I was prepared to deal with it—10 to 15 years down the road. Both of my dad’s parents lived into their 90s, and at 70, my dad was super healthy. He didn’t take any prescription meds and was careful with what he ate. So I selfishly assumed we had a lot more time with him. But, as it turns out, God had other plans and called him home this past winter, unexpectedly, suddenly and swiftly. At 7:30, he and Mom were hosting a dinner party at their house. By 11:45, he was gone. Grief is a funny thing, and as I wade my way through this strange new world in which I now live, the best I can do to describe my experience is to liken it to having a child. Before your child is born, people tell you how much you will love your baby. And you nod in agreement and think, “Duh, of course I’ll love my baby.” But then your baby arrives, and you experience a new, deep and all-encompassing love that you never knew existed. Losing Pops has felt the same. I knew it would be difficult and hard to deal with, but on the other side, I now know a whole new level of sadness. 

My dad’s drink of choice was a Manhattan (for the record, they are terrible). And so, on June 19, I plan to raise a glass and toast Pops. He was one of a kind, and I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have called him mine for 45 years. 

Enjoy the start of summer, Kansas City!