To my father,
Robert Lee Burdette
To the man who gave me life, only to have his taken from him before we got to know each other, at the young age of 19. There are too many sons and daughters out there who know my pain, know that there are no words to discribe the terrible feeling of emptiness, know the feeling of never hearing my father's voice, or seeing his face, or having any memories to hold in my heart or head, only knowing of the things that we are told about this wonderful man that would have been so very proud of us, if only he were here.
There are so many people out there that have suffered from the loss of just one man, one man that could never be replaced, never be forgotten, and for me can never be remembered, only the photos show me who he was.
I know I would have loved him and would have done anything in the world for him, I am angry that I never got that chance and never will, but had I known - been older than 3 months - I would have felt the pain that my grandparents, my mother, and everyone that loved him felt, and still feel every time they look at something that reminds them of him. Some say that it is one type of blessing, I wasn't old enough to feel the pain, I would have taken the chance given the opportunity, just to have known him a fraction of the way they knew him.
It has been 34 years since he was taken away in a foreign land, surrounded by strangers who only wanted him dead, but the pain is still there, I see it in the faces of everyone around me. It will never go away, it will never be forgotten, you Dad, will never be forgotten.
From my mouth to your ears in Heaven:
I Love You Dad, Always, Teresa
