Vanessa Bucklin

"There ain't a lot of boys named Gary these days." - Stephen Wilson Jr.

We saw him play this song at Under the Big Sky this summer, and thought, Callie and I, of all people, should have a Gary hat.

So here is the rest of the story (thanks Paul Harvey) - I reluctantly went into the Conrad ER (they were great) for a pretty severe stomach ache...after blood tests and a CT, I had a lonely ambulance ride to Great Falls. After my initial welcome of pokes and jabs, I was left to "suffer" (dramatized) for 8 hours in a scary ER bin until emergency surgery for an appendicitis (I guess they just happen.) Surgery was at 8 am and I was out by 10:30 am. It was successful.

My point is, it always seems like it is at my lowest, loneliest points that I think of my dad, Gary. I catch myself reaching to find him, call him, hear him. That night Gary was all over. I had so many flashbacks with him in that ER, things he would say, expressions he would give, the last resilient twinkle in his eye, and I just wanted my Dad.

I hope the saying, "the oldest daughter is a female version of her father" is true because he was the toughest cowboy I ever knew. He was my Hero.

I didn't wait for his heavenly birthday or death day to share this because I miss him every day.....

"There ain't a lot of boys named Gary these days."