“I am going home to Denmark, Son, and I just want to tell you I love you．”
In my dad's last telephone call to me, he 1 that line several times in half an hour．I wasn't listening at the right level．I heard the words, but not the message, and 2 not their deeper meaning．I believed my dad would live to be 100 years old, 3 my great uncle lived to be 107 years old．I hadn't felt his 4 over Mum's death, understood his loneliness or 5 most of his friends had left the world．He often asked my brother and me to create grandchildren 6 he could be a devoted grandfather．I was too busy with my business to really listen．
“Dad's dead, ” sighed my brother not long after dad went back to Denmark．
I was 7 and just cried for the loss of my dad．This isn't the 8 it's supposed to happen．If I had known these were to be dad's final days, I would have asked to go with him to Denmark．If I had been really listening and thinking, I would have offered comfort during his final hours．After all, a loved one should hold his hand and 9 him as he makes the transition(过渡)from reality to another world．Dad 10 his departure(离开)repeatedly, but I 11 it．I felt sadness, pain and regret．Why had I not been there for him? He'd always been there for me．In the mornings when I was nine years old, he 12 come home from working 18 hours and 13 me up by patting my back lightly with his strong powerful hands and whispering, “Time to get up, Son．” 14 I was dressed and ready to go, he had put my schoolbag in my bicycle basket．Recalling these 15 moments with dad brings tears to my eyes．
Now my heart is still in 16 because dad was there for me and I wasn't there for him．My hearty 17 is：always, always seize the moment to 18 your love with your loved ones, and keep them 19 when they leave the world．Experiencing the 20 of death with one you love will make you understand the meaning of life better．
