My prayers for your father and your family. It sounds like it was rough, yet such a great goodbye for your parents. How blessed they were.
I remember serving at many funerals as an altar boy as a young child, and I could tell the loved ones who were at peace and those near despair. What strong solid women your father had in his life in his spouse and you!
Describing your Dad as a packrat made me chuckle, as my father's the same. He saves old nails - just in case. As a child, I spent many an hour hammering straight old nails so that they could be used again in the next building 'project.' Don't know what I'll do with all of those coffee cans of old rusty nails when the day comes, but I do imagine that the process of going thru them will trigger many good memories.
May the LORD bless you and keep you; May the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; May the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24-26)
