My father will be coming home for hospice care tomorrow and he is extremely close to the end. It is likely that this will be the last time we will be side by side watching a game.
Me and my dad grew into being diehard Pitt fans together. Our first Pitt game was vs Bowling Green in 1999 in the final season at Pitt stadium when I was 8. I still have very clear memories of it and it got me hooked early. We attended a few games sporadically after that but were offered free last-minute tickets right next to the Pitt tunnel for the 2009 Cincinnati game. While it was heartbreaking, that was the game that turned us both into the Pitt fans we are now. We got season tickets together the following season and kept them through 2022 when his health went downhill. I attended all but one game during that time (I wanted to fight though it, but I was hospitalized with severe mono), and he attended every game that his health permitted. And he soldiered through many of them in pain.
Our first road trip was Clemson in 2016. Talk about luck. That weekend is one of the fondest memories of my life among so many others. The endless memories you make having season tickets for college football is something that makes this sport special and different and something that people who are not into the sport won't understand. I will cherish them forever.
My dad has been an incredible role model, an incredible husband, and my best friend. He did so much for me and my mom. Definitely more than he realizes. All of the things in life that make me the happiest are things he taught me and things we spent my whole life enjoying together.
I think praying over sports is generally very dumb, but I am praying that even though he may not even be well enough to watch it, I know that he will be able to hear it. And I know how much joy it will bring both of us to be able to be able to be next to each other for one last game. Preferably a win! So let's put some Pitt prayers up for Big Don and hopefully our boys can give him one more win for the road.
One final thing, I know many on here have already been through this. So any advice on how to handle these coming weeks/months would be greatly appreciated.
H2P.
Me and my dad grew into being diehard Pitt fans together. Our first Pitt game was vs Bowling Green in 1999 in the final season at Pitt stadium when I was 8. I still have very clear memories of it and it got me hooked early. We attended a few games sporadically after that but were offered free last-minute tickets right next to the Pitt tunnel for the 2009 Cincinnati game. While it was heartbreaking, that was the game that turned us both into the Pitt fans we are now. We got season tickets together the following season and kept them through 2022 when his health went downhill. I attended all but one game during that time (I wanted to fight though it, but I was hospitalized with severe mono), and he attended every game that his health permitted. And he soldiered through many of them in pain.
Our first road trip was Clemson in 2016. Talk about luck. That weekend is one of the fondest memories of my life among so many others. The endless memories you make having season tickets for college football is something that makes this sport special and different and something that people who are not into the sport won't understand. I will cherish them forever.
My dad has been an incredible role model, an incredible husband, and my best friend. He did so much for me and my mom. Definitely more than he realizes. All of the things in life that make me the happiest are things he taught me and things we spent my whole life enjoying together.
I think praying over sports is generally very dumb, but I am praying that even though he may not even be well enough to watch it, I know that he will be able to hear it. And I know how much joy it will bring both of us to be able to be able to be next to each other for one last game. Preferably a win! So let's put some Pitt prayers up for Big Don and hopefully our boys can give him one more win for the road.
One final thing, I know many on here have already been through this. So any advice on how to handle these coming weeks/months would be greatly appreciated.
H2P.
