Oh Captain, My Captain

December 1, 1998 is, and always will be one of the worst days of my life. I was busy at work, when my colleague, Sandra Escuder, told me that I had a phone call; it was one of my mother's co-workers-I think it was Miss Phyllis. She said that my mother was too upset to come to the phone. I immediately began to pack up so I could head over to The City and get my mother. Her friend then told me to sit down and listen to her. She said that my mother was unable to speak because she just received a call from the hospital, and that my father had died. I let out a strangled wail and slumped onto my desk. My savvy co-worker, Sandra, was at my side and she held me. The 25-minute drive to the hospital seemed interminable, My dear Sandra drove and comforted me while I wept.

Norman J. Leito, aka Tiny, was only 64 years old when he made the transition from this earthly realm, to the afterlife. Diabetes, hypertension, stress, alcohol, and congestive heart failure all played a part in him becoming an amputee, and eventually passing away too soon. It was a sad time for my family, but I remember feeling blessed that I had left no words unsaid to my father. He always allowed me to respectfully express whatever I needed to. He spoke to me openly and plainly about his life, his dreams, his faults, and his vision for his family. When he left me, the air was clear between us, I'll always be grateful for that. When I I look back on the last 26 years here without him, I see his influence throughout my life. When I Sankofa what my life was like as Daddy's Girl-because that is who I was-I see many seeds that he planted in me, beginning to sprout at this big age of mine. Daddy was a welder and learned to repair ships. His skill at his trade earned him a lot of money, took him around the world. He always told us to get out and see the world, just as he had. He said, when you travel, don't just be a tourist, talk to the people, eat the food, learn the language, be a part of things. He loved to tell stories about his fascinating life. He once told me that he got my French middle name, along with the French names of three of my sisters, from some of the women he met in France who all worked in a Bordello and treated him well when he was stationed there while in the U.S. Army. Whether that was one of his tall tales or the truth-we'll never know! Daddy was a character! He taught us to believe in ourselves and in our inherent right to do any thing we wanted to do. Often his explanation for why I should or shouldn't do something was, "Because you're a Leito." He was instilling my need to not only travel the world, but to be a part of it. He taught me to travel and transform! So, I will keep evolving, because Leitos evolve; and step by step, I will transform myself and everyone who I can reach. We will heal together because Leitos can do anything they put their minds to, and I am Tiny's daughter.