By Brenna Wiegand
The card from her dad arrived three years late – perfect timing for Renee Batson and family.
Her father, Donald E. Gregory, passed away May 1, 2010 after a bout with prostate cancer. Since then Christmas just hasn’t been the same for Renee Gregory Batson, husband Brent and their kids Zoë, 14, and Benjamin, 12.
“The night before Thanksgiving I was going through some of his papers and found an unopened Christmas card addressed to our family,” Batson said. “Not sure why it didn’t make it to us but this one was very unexpected and very much appreciated – more so, now that he’s gone.”
But wait – there was more.
“Farther down in the stack of papers there was a Christmas CD with Bing Crosby, Pavarotti and other artists,” Batson said. “So, a card and a gift from my dad. ‘Merry Christmas Dad! Love and miss you.’”
Their rich relationship was one of love, mutual admiration and lots of good times.
“He spent the holidays with us and accompanied us on vacations and summertime activities like county fairs and trips to the coast and the Rose Festival to see the Navy ships,” Batson said. An former Navy man, Donald Gregory loved geography and could converse on almost any subject. He loved to play cards and was a member of the Moose Lodge. He loved all things Mexican – the food, the music, the culture and traveled there quite often in his younger years. He was big on sending greeting cards, too.
“Dad always sent cards for all the holidays, and he especially enjoyed the big family meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas,” Batson said.
The cherished card, front, “For Daughter and Her Family, You Mean So Much”; inside, “You and your family have always brought so much happiness, so many smiles, and so much love – may your hearts and home be filled with Christmas Joy. Love, Dad”
“He was not overly demonstrative with his emotions, so he let the greeting cards say it for him,” Batson said. “Christmas is not the same without him, and he would be thrilled to know that his unsent card and ‘Holiday Favorites with the Christmas All-Stars’ CD arrived just in time for the season.”
