4 minute read
Stepping up to the Plate
from Aug_ZebraInk
JOIE GHARRITY
My dad fell and was admitted to the hospital during Covid. No family members were permitted to visit. It was a difficult time trying to advocate for him via telephone and zoom. We were hopeful that he would recover quickly. However, it turned out that the doctor recommended surgery which took his recovery on a totally different path.
My dad had spinal surgery, was placed in two different hospitals, two recovery facilities, had several different doctors, got Covid while in the hospital, a feeding tube and finally after a year-and-a-half, he was diagnosed with cancer with only a few weeks to live.
While in the midst of the heightened circumstances, I didn’t let myself stop and feel. The family knew that we had one priority and that was my dad. So, to the best of our abilities, we, as a family unit, got things accomplished for him so that he could come home.
Thankfully, we were able to get him back to the family home. I held his hand as he took his last breath. Nothing could have prepared me for that moment. The pain and sadness ran deep. I felt lost, and was overwhelmed with grief. I went into a deep depression. I was so blue.
A couple of days after his passing, I had a dream. The dream was vivid. It was as if he was literally still with us. In my dream, my dad asked me to clear up his work bench in the garage.
Growing up I remember him telling me and my brother several times not to touch his work bench. It was totally off limits because it was full of tools and equipment. There were plenty of times that my brother and I would sneak into the garage and poke around his work bench which looked massive when we were kids. As we got older, the work bench was still off limits but now it held little to no magic because we knew that tools and equipment meant hard labor and work.
At first, I was hesitant about the task. I knew how painful it would be. I thought about it for a while. I shared the dream with my mom. She encouraged me to go for it. We both knew it would be helpful with the healing process. So, I rolled up my sleeves and I began.
I was sad as I cleared his sacred space. However, I knew that he would love that I was donating his tools and equipment to others who would use them to create and build for their families. As each person came by the house to pick up tools and or equipment, they were grateful for the opportunity. They shared their plans with me. I shared a story about my dad with each one of them. It lifted my spirits in the best of ways.
Something extraordinary happened as I was finishing the clean up. I saw a baseball bat tucked behind the bench. It had to be a special treasure because my dad was passionate about baseball and particularly the Giants. It turned out to be a Jose Oquendo bat and I saw that the bat was #113. I was taken back because I immediately knew it was a sign. My company brand name is Joie G 113.
The meaning behind the dream became so clear in that moment. My dad wanted me to clear his bench which I thought was symbolic of clearing the pain and grief. Instead, he was reminding me to live in the moment and know that he was with me in spirit and loved me very much.
The following week at my dad’s memorial service I read the enclosed:
Dear Dad,
Thank you for encouraging me to draw outside the lines, and for teaching me to never define myself by other people’s standards. It is because of you that I have the courage to step up to the plate and keep swinging until I hit one out of the park.
I am so very proud to be your daughter.
~ Joie
Joie Gharrity, Founder of Joie G 113, is a Brand Consultant, Author, Livestream Content Creator, Podcaster, and International Speaker. She empowers entrepreneur women to be their own superstar by shining a spotlight on their company brand in the marketplace with branding, marketing, and the Superstar Women Entrepreneurs Media Network.
