We recently lost my dad, Rod, to cancer.

Everything happened so fast. We didn’t have time to prepare, for the loss, or for everything that comes after.

For those who know me, you know that our relationship wasn’t typical. We spent years apart, but it feels like we had just found our way back to each other. Some of my best memories with him were simple, working on a motor, building a dirt bike, being outdoors. That’s who he was. He showed love through what he did, not what he said.

My parents lived a simple, hardworking life. They don’t have savings or a safety net, just each other. Now my mom is facing life without him.

I’m doing everything I can to support her and step in where he left off, but right now we’re facing burial costs, medical bills, along with the weight of everyday life.

There are also a few necessary projects at their home that need to be addressed, the stuff that my dad would have done without hesitation. I want to take care of those things to bring some sense of stability for her.

More than anything, I want to give my mom a little breathing room, time to grieve without having to carry everything at once. She’ll be returning to work much too soon.

Anything helps, even simply sharing this post.

Thank you