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What'll I do?
By juliezavala in My Turn
April 28, 2011

One of my Dad's favorite albums was Linda Ronstadt's "What's New?". A song from that album fits my feelings completely. It goes like this:

                          What'll I do when you are far away
                          And I am blue, what'll I do?

                          What'll I do with just a photograph
                          to tell my troubles to?

                          When I'm alone with only dreams
                          of you that won't come true
                          What'll I do?

My sentiments exactly.

The viewing and rosary at the funeral home was on Tuesday and the funeral was on Wednesday. Not very many people showed up for the viewing and I felt so sad for my Dad. But then four elderly men walked in and, after checking Daddy out, walked over to where we were sitting and made it all better.

They were railroad men who used to work with Dad at the Southern Pacific yard office in Beaumont. They regaled us with stories about their time with the railroad and their friendship with Daddy. They told me that they were just like a family when they worked together. They even knew the names of all of us kids - Jimmy, Janice, Jody, Julie, Jeannie and Joe. I loved it!

We talked for a while and then they had to leave. They told me that a lot of the former Southern Pacific employees meet at the Beaumont mall every Tuesday. Oh, if I had only known all these months! I would have driven Daddy to Beaumont every now and then so he could shoot the bull with his old buddies. I know they would have been kind to him even when he forgot things.

More friends and relatives came to the funeral the next day and there was a pretty decent turnout. I saw relatives that I had not seen in years and we caught up a little. I told them about how sweet Daddio had been during those months he stayed with us.

Tomorrow Robert and I go back to work. I have to say I'll be glad to immerse myself in my job; hopefully it'll take my mind of my Dad. But like Mama always told me; this too shall pass.