Water Bottles

Tonight, for the first time in probably seventeen years, we’re not having our annual New Years Eve party. This party would fill the entire house with food and fifty to sixty of our friends to bring us all together as we celebrated the night. We looked forward to it as I think many people did but tonight we’re breaking that tradition.

Three weeks ago we suffered a loss that was greater than we ever anticipated. While still mourning the loss of my father it would be very difficult to have this party without him here. See, he had a very special job for the night. Not only did he open up his home and attend to the needs of his guests but he was in charge of the garbage. You would think this is a very small and insignificant job but not to my daddy.

He made countless trips from the kitchen to the garage always making sure recycling was separated from regular garbage. Some people wouldn’t think twice to hide a plastic water bottle inside the regular garbage just to avoid finding the appropriate plastics receptacle – but not my dad. He was honest and integral even in his garbage. He knew the rule to never mix plastic with regular garbage and would go as far as to scan the garbage and make sure there were no water bottles inside. But that was just who dad was.

If we had this party tonight, every time we took out the garbage we would be forced to remember that this was daddy’s job and he’s not here anymore to do it. In fact, he’ll never do it again and he’ll never be able to celebrate the new year with us. We won’t kiss or hug him after the ball drops and he won’t say “I love you” one last time.