Two Years

Two years ago today, Vinny was on a business trip in Florida and Karina was sleeping in bed with me. Sometime around 5:00 a.m. my house phone rang. I had the upstairs ringer turned off, but the sound from the downstairs phone woke me up. I looked on the caller ID and saw that it was my brother-in-law's cell phone. He'd left no message so for about 1 minute, I thought he'd dialed my home by accident. Then my cell phone rang, and in that one instant I knew something awful had happened. My step-dad died two years ago today. We miss him so much, and cannot wait to see him again.

Darin took me on my very first date.
Regardless of the month, he ended most conversations with "Merry Christmas."
He made sandwiches out of everything. His favorite: spaghetti sandwiches.
He loved to fish but was truly awful at it.
He had a beautiful singing voice.
The last two years before he died, Darin taught himself to play the violin.
He loved musicals.
I never, ever, ever saw him angry.
Without him, I wouldn't have married Vinny.
Even before he married my mom, he saved our family.
Darin really was too good to be true.

Tonight my mom talked to me about the morning Darin died. She had a lot to say about regrets, both having them and not. It was an eye-opener for me, and I hope that I can live so that whomever goes will leave me with memories and not regrets.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!