In June 2006, the Rich family participated in the NSMC Cancer Walk. Before the walk, my sister Kelli wanted to have some team shirts made up, but we didn't know what slogan to use. Some of Dennis' initial suggestions were "Refuse to Lose", or "Get Up and Live Again", or "Got Hope?". Then Dennis said he had one more idea that really meant something to him, but probably wouldn't make sense to anyone else. He liked the slogan "Daddy's Real". When Kelli asked Dennis what that meant, he went on to explain through email:
Kags-
It goes this way... and it's hard for me to even talk about it without getting choked up. After my 5th round of chemo, I was home recovering and feeling pretty rotten. The kids were in NH with their grandmother. When the kids finally came home, Elise came running into the living room and found me on my recliner. As always, she jumped up onto my lap and hugged me. Then, out of nowhere, she started touching my face with both hands, moving them up and down feeling my cheeks.
Then she just said to me, "Daddy, are you real?" It crushed me. It only took a second and I knew exactly what she meant. She's just so young and she was seeing so little of me during treatments that she honestly started to wonder if she really had a Daddy or if it was something she imagined.
I knew then that I had to pull through, because it proved to me that no matter what I did she would never remember me if I left her this young. I just can't even think about doing that to any of my girls.
It might sound weird, but it means a lot to me. I think a better slogan for the shirt might be, "I'm real". That way it signifies everyone.
After that email, it was decided "He's Real" was the best slogan because it meant something to everyone who was living their life and fighting cancer at the same time.
5 comments:
Alana, Elise and Mia will always know how hard their Daddy fought for them. They were the most important girls in the world to him and his wish was for them to always know who he was, know every single thing about him and to be able to openly talk about him and all he stood for.
I love you girls so much and I will always be here for you. I will always share some Daddy stories w/ you and tell you just how wonderful your father was.
Auntie Kelli
When I look at the picture of Dennis and Elise. I first feel incredibly sad and then feel happy that the two of them had that time together. Dennis was about at the end of his 6th round of intense chemotherapy treatments. For that particular type of treatment. Dennis used to have to go into the hospital for 4 days straight because the chemotherapy was pretty intense. He didn't get to see the girls as much as he wanted to around that time. They stayed over lots of family/close friends house's. I needed to be with Dennis and Dennis didn't want the girls to be around him while he was doing treatments and a few days after while he was recovering. Dennis didn't want them to see him like that and didn't want them to remember him like that and be scared. I will never forget the night that I took the picture of Dennis and Elise. A few days before that Dennis kept saying to me I need to get something light for my head to wear around the house because at that point Dennis lost all his hair from his treatments and it was well into the winter and his head would get cold. So he bought this nylon caps. He was laying down in his recliner wearing one of the caps and watching T.V. Elise always just wanted to be anywhere Dennis was and noticed he had a cap on and realized Dennis had more than one. She asked Dennis if she could wear one and lay down with him and watch T.V. Elise as usually was so at ease and comfortable laying with her Daddy and even more so because of not getting to see him as much and she immediatly feel asleep. Dennis yelled to me and said you got to see this. When I got there he had a huge smile on his face and said you have to take a picture. He was so touched because around that time he didn't like his pictured taken. It just goes to show you Elise didn't see or care that her daddy looked different. All she saw was her daddy that she missed and loved so much. I believe all our girls just saw Dennis as an amazing daddy. Dennis always made sure even when he wasn't feeling his best that they got still a 100% from him. He was truly an amazing dad. We love you and miss you very much, Jodi & the girls oxox
I love this picture. Even though Dennis clearly looked different,it just goes to show how kids are the best at seeing the present and not the wrapping. Miss you buddy.
This picture reminds me how hard Uncle Dennis had it.
~ gina
You write very well.
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