Happy Father’s day to my real father, Dennis Brown.. My biological father died in 1984 when I was 14 years old. I did not know much about him and never felt connected to him. A few months after his death, my family and I met Dennis Brown. He was in charge of the moving company we had hired to move us to a different house.
We became very close to Dennis during that process. He stepped into my life as a father figure when I needed one most. He and I remained close until I was 27 years old. He was the father I was meant to have. Life gave me a gift when Dennis came into our lives.
My biological father and I had nothing in common. He loved watching sports, going skiing, and believed sleepaway camp was the greatest thing ever for kids. I disliked all three of those activities. As a result, I never really enjoyed my time with him. Today, even if he were still alive, I don’t think we could even go for a beer together. What would we talk about?
Dennis taught me about humanity and how to be a good man. He was a beam of light. Whenever people were around him, they lit up like a Christmas tree. He was endlessly positive and always had a big smile on his face. Some beings are so lit up on the inside that their shine on their exterior. Dennis Brown was like that.
Sadly, he died of cancer on October 5, 2015.. I was in Puerto Rico at the time. I spoke to him on the phone the day before he died. He told me he was getting better every day. He stayed positive until his very last breath.
I do not believe in God or Heaven at all. But if I am wrong, I would ask that God send me wherever Dennis Brown is.
If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Let them say I lived in the time of Dennis Brown.