March 4th 2021 and I say Happy Birthday to my father and Happy Anniversary to my parents in Heaven.
Charles and Frances Cooke were not just my parents; they were my heroes. For the first 22 years of my life, I had a front-row seat to their beautiful, loving partnership, and today, I have no doubt they are dancing together in the clouds, holding each other close and shouting, ‘I love you!’ for all in Heaven to hear.
To my father, what can I say to you other than what is self-evident in the way you lived your life – you were a remarkable man. You taught me how to throw a ball. You took me to my first ball game. You showed me how to live my life the right way, not by your words but through your actions. You taught me how to be a man. Yes, dad, you were indeed a remarkable man.
To my mom, when I look at your life, I think to myself, you must have been the inspiration for Maya Angelou’s phenomenal woman. You read to me when I was a child. As a boy, you picked me up and wiped the blood from my knee and the tears from my eyes when I fell. You encouraged and believed in me when I was a teen. You were always there for me even after I grew into a man. Through it all, you put up with my nonsense and loved me unconditionally. Yes, mom, you were a phenomenal woman.
To my Mom and Dad, I say thank you for everything. I love you, and you will always be in my heart.