I knew a day like yesterday would come. We all did. As I thought about the upcoming proposal, I thought of my Daddy. He loved my nephew's girlfriend and called her his "little ray of sunshine." Their birthdays were only a few days apart and we always ate at Cracker Barrel to celebrate their birthdays. I am so thankful that in 2009 at our last one, I got a picture of the two of them sitting by each other sharing a laugh with everyone else. This picture truly shows how much he loved his family and this sweet girl.
As I took pictures last night, I thought about him. I thought about how he would have been "mad" at us for not telling him advance. For you see, we all knew he wouldn't keep a secret. As the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree because Red is the same way - we were just calling him Bill Jr last night. I could see him running up to hug their necks after the proposal was made - laughing and crying all at the same time. He would have been so proud.
He loved his family and loved this sweet girl. Try as we may, we all had to think of something else. We had to think of the joy of the night but I knew in my heart he was there with us - smiling and laughing right along with all of us. I just wish he could have actually been there. In my mind and my heart, he was supposed to be.
