My dad is my favorite super hero. But, this isn't an expectation that I put on him. There are times that I just expect him to crush under the pressure, like everyone else. But, something keeps him standing. The last part of 2006 changed the rest of his life forever when his wife of 29 years was suddenly gone.

My parents were married when they were just sixteen years old. They started life so early against the odds, and have survived every challenge that life threw their way. In their 20's, they became Christians and began a life of service, ministry, and love that eventually resulted in a church plant in Tampa, Florida. As a family, we grew as they gave us the ultimate example of a loving relationship and a true servant's heart. I saw their struggles and ministry, and applauded them for their courage and will power. They have always loved God so much, and it showed in their love for other people.

In 2005, the ministry encountered some difficult times. It placed new pressures on us all. The same year saw the slow death of my grandmother (on my mother's side) from cancer as well a cancer scare for my mother herself. My father tried desperately to do everything that he knew to do, but something was already terribly wrong. Over a period of months, my mother began retreating into herself, blocking out the people that loved her, and looking at the past she left behind. Regrets clouded her vision, and pressures that may have otherwise been overcome became a collection of imprisoning thoughts and emotions that could not be reconciled.

She left in October of that year.

The details are too personal to discuss, but it left my father alone for the first time since he was fourteen. This picture of my father was taken at our Christmas service, where we gave out gifts to the children of the church and the community. This service was always a big deal to mom. But, to him, it was just another day waiting for her.