Difficult Day

Today is my least favorite day of the year.  Not only is it the shortest day, but it's also the day my father passed away.  Today makes it 16 years since that awful day.  16.  It's hard for me to believe that it's been that long and at the same time it's hard for me to believe it's only been 16 years because it feels more like an entire lifetime.  I miss him terribly.  I barely knew him.  10 years together was most certainly not enough.  I'm not sure what life would be like with him around but there are so many things I would/could have learned. 

My dad was diagnosed with a rare condition called Wilson Disease.  Back in 1993, not much was known about this so my dad was quite the challenge for the doctors at Wesley Hospital in Wichita, KS.  But through research over the years, a lot has been discovered and now survival rates are high. My brother and I have been checked for it many times, and while I used to worry a lot about one of us having it, I am not so concerned with it anymore.  Today I am making a donation towards fighting liver disease.  If you're interested, you can do the same here.

My dad was an amazing arhitect.  However, since he passed before his prime, much of his work wasn't translated from blueprints to buildings.  For a couple of years, we lived in one of the houses he designed.  It was huge and had secret passageways and multiple fireplaces and french doors.  It was awesome.  One of the buildings he designed, the Olive Garvey Center is located in downtown Wichita, and I try to pass by it every time I go back home:

 R.I.P. Dad, Jerry E. Pierce.  I love you and miss you so very much.