My Superman

How do I begin..."Thank you"...
For so many things...really...
Those two words seem so absolutely empty...
They sound so hollow…when being compared...
With the heart behind those words...
Those words can't express what my heart feels...
What it has always felt...for you...
They don't tell you how much you mean to me...
How could they? Some things felt just can't be made verbal...
They can only be felt...lived out loud...experienced...
All the" I Love You's" tallied up...Would never even come close...
To revealing or relaying what my heart feels for you...
I think back to the beginning...my beginning...
How when I was small...all I ever wanted was to be like you...
If you ate it or drank it...I did too...
If you were going...I wanted to go too...
I wanted so badly to be like you...to make you proud...
My hero...my superman...my daddy...
There was nothing too hard for you...
Nothing you couldn't do...No feat too large...
I told you yesterday...that you were my superman...
And you looked at me...crying...shaking your head...
And you said...over and over,"No, I'm not superman"...
"I ain't nothing"...and so many tears...
And I told you then..."Yes, Daddy, you are"...
"In my eyes...you always have been"...
"And always will be"...no matter what…larger than life...
I know you feel as though this disease...
Has stolen so many things from you...and it has...
Your vision...your balance...your speech...
Your ability to do for yourself...
And I can't imagine how hard that must be for you...
A man who has worked so hard all of his life...
But daddy...let me say...no matter what this disease takes...
There are some things that it can never take away...
And that is...the man that you are…and always will be...in my eyes...
Nothing will ever change that...not time...and not this disease...
I've often thought...that a father has three jobs...
And they are…To love his family...to provide for his family...
And to protect his family...and you have done all those things...
And done them well…Lovingly...willingly...so selflessly...
You are....and always will be...no matter what…
Super-natural...super-human...super-hero...
My Superman...

Kristy Turnage
5-17-2010