My dad was always right on target. He'd set his sights on his prize and a way to get it.

My mother for example. She was his target and he wasn't subtle at all in his pursuit. Picking her up first or dropping her off last in his famous college carpool for example.

He wanted a family. When it didn't happen they way he thought it would he set his sights on adopting. John and I were the very blessed prizes of that target.

He set his sights on putting an entire second story on his house; on making award winning wine; on catching the biggest fish (although that became increasingly difficult once he taught ME how to fish)

His literal sights were set on trap shooting where he loved to compete and won many awards.

When technology advanced to computers, cell phones and tablets, he was a pioneer and always had his sights on the latest and greatest tech available. He wasn't called the computer guru for nothing.

He never did things half assed. Not his hunting, his hobbies, his work, his cooking and certainly not his friends. His 70 yr friendship with uncle Spike Boyle was something truly extraordinary. They spoke more than most women do , and shared the majority of their lives. The ups the downs, the mischief, the makings, their families and of course their hunting camp. A whole other target topic.

As we will all be sharing our stories through these days around his funeral & celebration, we must remember his main target.

Heaven. He spent his whole life with heaven in his sights. The ultimate bullseye. A few testimonies to this were his service to the church as alter boy, eucharistic minister, and serving on the right to life committee. The beautiful Bible he gave my mother for Christmas before they were married. The fact that every morning, if i came downstairs early enough, he'd be sitting in his chair in prayer.

And in his final days, he kept uttering "hurry hurry hurry". I'm pretty sure he was talking to Jesus. He'd wake up and say "I'm still here?" In a disappointed huff, not because he didn't love us and not because he didn't want more time with us but simply because he loved God more and was ready for his suffering to end and his celebration to begin.

He hit his target one week ago today. One week shy of his 85th birthday, he left us on All Souls' Day. This year he gets to celebrate free from pain, free from worry and free indeed! BULLSEYE ??