Hotchie's Daughter might seem like an interesting title for the blog, but for those who know me knows that it holds a dear sentiment. I lost my dad at 16 to stomach cancer. You could say that it was the moment that changed me forever. He was my the first man to teach me everything. He was full of life, and was always willing to share his philosophy on everything about life.
He earned the nickname Hotchie as a child. He played softball all his life, until he was too frail to do it anymore. It all began on the softball fields in Richville with his brothers. They're still there today, and I pass them every time I visit my Grandma Quinn's house. As the story goes, he was trying to say "Watch it!" -- but he couldn't pronounce his "W's" correctly, so it came out "Hotch it!" The rest was history, as people say, and he was always known as Hotchie.
Throughout my life, even since his death, I am introduced to people around his hometown of Canton, Ohio as Hotchie's daughter. Naming the blog after him is just one way for me to keep a part of him alive.
Death played an important part of my life from when I was 12 - 18 years old as every two years someone I was close to passed away. I lost three Grandparents and close family friends all in that short time frame. What I have taken from all of it is that life is short, and I make it a point to spend as much time with my friends and family as I can. I still am trying to deal with all of it, as I feel I didn't really do that very much at the time. It is really tough, and knowing that in April it will be ten years since I lost the most influential man in my life, I am trying to find ways to share my story with others.
I know now that it is ok to admit that you never truly heal from a loss of that magnitude, and it is a process to move on from it. I am sure that many more posts about him will be prevalent on this blog because he had such an important impact on me.
For Hotchie -- always loving and missing you!
