Sometimes looking back can help you see forward
Phil Cobb
This past Tuesday, March 7 would have been my dad’s 77th birthday.
It is so hard to believe that he has been gone nearly 20 years.
He died on November 21, 1997 at 8:14 a.m.
At the time of his passing, it was impossible to imagine the impact it would have on my life and the lives of my family.
Looking back, I realize I was only 28 years old — too young to lose your dad.
But I’m also mindful that many people lose their fathers at a much younger age.
Even more unfathomable, my mom was the same age that I am now, 47.
I can’t even imagine what it would be like to lose Chaundee at my age.
It makes me thankful for the friendships my mom has had with some pretty special people over the years.
The impact of my dad’s untimely death has had the greatest effect on her life, for sure.
She invested so much of herself into helping him to overcome his handicap, and not only succeed, but excel at his profession.
Often, when I think back on all the many things that have transpired since he left us, I dwell on the negative.
I should spend more time being thankful for the time that we DID have with him.
Regardless, we have missed out on so much.
He missed out on so much.
I know Mom’s life would have been easier, and probably happier.
I know my life would have been easier.
But easier is not always better.
It also makes me realize how much I relied on him — leaned on him.
His absence has forced me to learn self-reliance, and to become a stronger and better person.
It’s impossible to know how different the path of my life would be if he was still here.
Who knows if we would have ended up in Maryville.
I’m grateful for the life we have here, but I sometimes long for the life we had in King City.
I so wish that Dad could have seen his grandkids grow up.
Makenzie was only 3 when he died, Kelsey was 2, and Trinity would come along four years later.
I imagine how much different their childhoods would have been with PaPa Bob around.
They certainly would have benefitted from his presence.
There’s no way I could have predicted where we would be nearly 20 years later.
It’s further evidence that no matter how grandiose our plans are, God’s plan is almost certainly different, and without a doubt better.
I guess the reason why I’m sharing this all with our readers is to help people understand that we don’t have to understand why things happen the way they do.
Our lives reflect the totality our life experiences, good and bad.
It’s never good to dwell in the past, but a quick glance back can help you realize how far you’ve come.
And it can help you understand where it is that you’re going.
Phil Cobb is the owner and publisher of the Maryville Daily Forum and The Post.
