Posted by Don Barlow Jr on July 18, 2011:

This is a letter I shared with my dad before he died... To My Pop on Father's Day, 2011 My pop is sick but he's facing up to cancer with the same strength of character that has made him the man I've always wanted to be. If this cancer can be beat, my pop will be the one to do it -- all for his insatiable love of life, family and Army football. This Father's Day had more meaning to me than any previous one in my life. I spent the day taking stock of what my pop has meant to me in my lifetime. I looked at my kids differently, wondering if I could possibly have as much of a positive impact on their lives as my pop has had on mine. My pop's shoes are big ones to fill. I've lived my life not trying to measure up to him as much as wanting to be like him. My pop never asked me to 'measure up'; he simply provided an example on the true measure of a man, husband father and friend. He's a man whose actions have always spoken louder than his words. It's his example that gave me the strength to persevere at West Point and thrive in the military. I'm proud to have followed in my pop's footsteps. The sense of character forged in me by these experiences is at the very root of any success I've enjoyed since. West Point and the Army transformed me from a kid into a man. I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. His example now guides me as a husband. First and foremost committed to my dearest mom and his soul mate of 53 years, my pop has showed me that a good marriage takes hard work to realize its truest potential. I want my own marriage to realize its truest potential. Just like my pop, I put forth the effort knowing my wife and I can live and love our marriage vows through more good times than bad, just as my pop has done with my mom. It is the very character of the man I'm proud to call my pop that I want my kids to see in me as their pop and the husband to their mother. I want my kids to know I love them and their mother every bit as much as I know my pop loves me, my sisters and mom. I want them to have wonderful childhood memories -- just like me. I'll make the kind of sacrifices my pop made to give me every chance to succeed in life. I'll strive to be my pops' own example to my son on what it means to be a man, husband and father. I hope my daughter adores me just as much as my sisters adore their pop. And it is this very character of the man I'm proud to call my pop that carries him through his tough fight with cancer. His strength of spirit rises above his weakened and weary body. His grace and humor not only help to medicate his own pain but ours too. His family -- all that he has loved and worked so hard for throughout his life -- is there to give him comfort, to laugh and cry with him, and be strong for him, just as he has done so for each one of us in our lives. I love my pop dearly. He is everything I've wanted and strive to be in my own life. I'm hoping this letter is just about saying everything I wanted to say about him, to him, well before it's too late. I'm hoping and praying he'll overcome his cancer and live on to see a winning season for the Army football team. He'll need to fight hard because this could take several years;-)

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