a different sort of artist

I haven't been keeping up with my once-a-week-blog goal lately, but it's for a good reason. My father, Frank X. Castellano, passed away on July 2nd (about 6 weeks shy of what would have been his 88th birthday). Since then, my mind has been flooded with memories of my dad...some have made me cry, all have made me smile. He was a great storyteller and he always made his captive audiences laugh. One of the things he would love to say to me was, "You know, I'm an artist too." Then he would lean in conspiratorially, grin, and whisper, "A bullsh*t artist!" We would both have a good laugh and then move on to the next story. I've been thinking about this a lot lately, and I have to respectfully disagree. My dad was not a bullsh*t artist. Rather, my dad was an artist of life. He approached life with joy, faith, and optimism...not in a Pollyanna way, but in a very matter-of-fact manner. He was kind, generous, brave, honest, loving, funny, compassionate, and supportive. He touched so many people while he was here with his sense of humor, his good advice, and his giving spirit...he even saved a few lives as well. He made the world a better place and I will always be grateful for him. I miss you, Dad. I'm proud of you, and I love you so much. You were a true artist...no bullsh*t.