A Hurricane Sandy Survivor

Today, in honor of my dad's 13-year anniversary of his passing, I look upon the following story for some solace that he's still with us.

My most happiest memories of my dad are typically set during the summers that we spent together in New Jersey Shore, which is why my family purchased a memorial bench for him on the Pt. Pleasant boardwalk. As you may know, that same boardwalk fell victim to Hurricane Sandy a few months ago. As a result, I figured his bench was a goner, but luckily it survived, while many of the benches didn't. Unfortunately, the first floor of my Aunt's home was ruined. You could literally put your hand through the walls. Also, all the possessions on that floor including the new cabinets that she put in were un-salvageable. Even sadder is the fact that she just retired and was looking forward to spending more time there.

I had visited her home just this summer and we spent a good hour looking for a framed photo of my father that appeared in the newspaper for his restaurant when he was younger. However, we looked high and low, but couldn't find it. We assumed it was lost. Then, after the storm, when my aunt and uncle could finally return to their home to access the damage, there floating in the water was my dad's newspaper clipping. The back of the frame was all water damaged, yet miraculously the article was unharmed. Pretty amazing. :) I like to think it's a sign that he's watching over us all still. Especially now that he has two grand kids carrying on not only his first name but his genes too.