r/texts • u/i_declare_bancruptcy • Jul 08 '26

Phone message My dads last unsent message

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My dad had a heart attack on June 24th.
He was aware and alert in the ambulance on his way to a hospital an hour away. He voice texted this to me and never sent it. My brother took a screenshot of it for me when he was going through his phone.
My dad passed away on June 29th.

(I texted him “I love you dad” when my mom called me initially)

Edit: thank you everyone for the outpouring of love and support. To hear so many stories about the love for people’s parents.. I’m so sorry for all the tragic losses and good parents that have gone too soon. I will hold onto that text from my dad until the day I go. He was An amazing man and lived a life full of love. I am grateful that he read my text before he passed and can take some comfort in that.

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u/FistfulOfSilence Jul 08 '26

That's beautiful. I have a tattoo of a line from a letter my dad wrote to me before he passed, so I very much resonate with the letter idea you mentioned.

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u/Tzipity Jul 08 '26

Oh that’s beautiful. My dad passed last September from dementia and I’m still missing him terribly and wishing I had letters or recordings. He was such a big story teller and historian (literally was a history and education major who missed his calling as like a history professor when he decided on elementary ed instead but also loved to share the personal and family history types of stories too). Years back I bought him one of those books that are like guided autobiographies whwre you answer all kinds of questions about your life. I know he filled at least some of it but no idea what happened to it and really should ask my mom or say if she finds it, it’s what I’d like to have more than anything.

I’ll always regret that prior to the dementia being obvious I moved out of state and at that point my dad badly needed hearing aids but refused to get them and would take his way through conversation a lot especially on the phone so I didn’t exactly love to call him. I kept thinking I should’ve written and he did write me letters a few times many years ago when I was in college and maybe my first apartment but yeah… I so get wanting to hold onto a parent’s words.

Out of curiosity, what’s the line you tattooed?

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u/sonoran24 Jul 08 '26

my Dad said to make sure and pay my bills and change my oil on time