Dancing with my Father

[Regina Spangle]

I love this time of year. 

I'm not sure exactly why or how the "Veils are thinner," but I know for sure that they are. 

My Father, Rick the Heretic, died on Halloween 7 years ago. 

His Birthday was November 2nd, the Day of the Dead

My father and I were beyond Close....we had big dreams together...

Every year since his death, around this time of year, I can feel his presence stronger. 

Not only does he frequent my dreams,  he always helps with some miraculous occurrence in my life, like a father would....This year it happens to be a new , & very dreamy living situation. 

My father was a professional Swing Dancer.  (West Coast Swing) He owned a Dance studio when I was growing up, and I have very fond memories of him swinging me around ...we loved dancing to the song  "Pour some Sugar on Me" by  Def Leppard  ...

Last night I got to dance with my dad again....

"pretty good for a dead guy," he chuckled after our dance....lol

My father had a spontaneous fall, down a flight of stairs....while living in Lutz Flordia with his lady love....They were renowned nudist....and lived at an epic nudist community... 

He broke his neck in 3 places and lived 10, extremely optimistic months, paralyzed from the neck down, before he passed away.....2 months after my first child, Orion Makia was born. 

Right before he fell, we spent the whole summer together, off-grid, in northern CA.  

During that time, this documentary was made about him...

He reminded me last night that this time of the year is special for remembering the ones in our lives who have passed on to another, unknown world. 

Sometimes they feel so far away...like we "lost" them....other times we know they are right here with us and are not separated by time or space.....

So, as a tribute to my incredible father, whom I deeply miss and love eternally, here is the documentary we made that year.... a couple of months before his tragic fall. 

last thing

My father was in Special Ops in the Vietnam War. He was on the top 10 most wanted list..

A couple of years before his fall, he was finally allowed to  speak to a therapist, as all of his actions were still considered confidential and classified ( even for psychotherapy) 

He stopped taking Klonopin, started smoking a shit ton of cannabis, and went through a deep healing process ...  

Since the War, he carried a weight, as most Veterans do , of things he had done.  

After his fall,  he knew that was his "Karma" for actions taken in the war....he was freed of what he had been carrying ..Although he could not move his body for the last 10 months of his life...My dad was free.......

This is his story, and the documentary we made together, if you feel inclined to watch 

https://youtu.be/nm5iMtAgq3Y?si=OgXNvPTmX4HTUM_c

Love Regina