The boat at Chelan

Right around the 16th of August we went on vacation with the family to Chelan, the earliest picture I can find is from the 16th. We had some fun there. We celebrated my dad's birthday. The last picture I have of him full of energy is on a pedal machine by the lake. He was already a little sick by then. Our last day there was around August 19th, and then we headed home.

There is one specific moment I want to highlight. Every year at Chelan we would have this blow-up boat, and year by year it felt like it got upgrades. Originally it was just whatever inflatable boat; the next year it was a slightly better one; the year after that my dad got a motor for it that you hook up to a car battery; the year after that, a stronger motor. Each year it got a little more fun.

And there was this one time it was just me and my dad. It was a little later in the evening, and none of the other family was really by us. Just me and my dad on the boat at Chelan. I hadn't really had a one-on-one conversation with my dad in a while, but I very clearly remember him telling me he was proud of me, proud of my achievements up to this point, and that if there's anything he can do to help me in life, to let him know, and he'll be there for me and guide me through it as best as he can. And that he really loved me. It was a very good bonding moment, just chilling on the boat, talking to one another. I knew my dad loved me so much.

My two sisters were born before me; they're quite a bit older. My dad always looked forward to having a boy, and when I was born he loved me with everything he had. He was the type of person who worked ten hours a day, and after all that work he'd come home with this iconic lunchbox, almost empty, maybe one leftover thing in it, and he would say the bunny passed it over: «Зайчик подав». And then he would always, always spend time with us. He always had the additional energy to devote time to us. He was a very good father and a very hard-working individual. Some people took advantage of that over the years, and he stayed a good person anyway. He was the best father I could have had.

Going back to Chelan: he got sick during that time. There were also wildfires that summer, this was the summer of 2021, and everyone was sick with COVID. Even though he was sick, when we said we'll take over and drive, he said: no, it's okay, I'll drive. I'll push myself through, I have the energy, you guys can relax. So he drove home.

Once we got home he was sick for about a week, and he pushed through it the way he pushed through everything. On September 1, his birthday, he went to the hospital. The next day he was still himself: tired of the hospital food and talking about going home for ribs and a Coca-Cola, because that was his favorite thing.

I was the last one to talk to him. We had a FaceTime call that afternoon and he looked happy. The doctor said his vitals looked good and he would get to go home. That evening he passed, the day after his birthday. He lived fifty-seven years and one day.

He was a great man. He loved his children, he loved his wife, and he absolutely adored his grandchildren. He got to meet three of them: Olivia, Kvita's daughter, and Jesse and Levi, the sons of Solomiya. We all loved him very much. He loved people, he loved his family. He would always put God first, then his family, and then everyone else, but the one thing that always radiated from him was love. He respected everyone.

Thank you, dad. Thank you for all the opportunity you've given me, for the home you provided me, for the love and support you gave me through all this time. I know you didn't see my graduation, but I know you would be proud. I know you didn't see my beautiful wife, but I know you would be proud as heck. One day I'll get to see you in heaven, and we will get to see one another once more. I know this because I believe in Christ Jesus. Thank you, dad, for everything. I love you.