Add a story, at first I couldn't but now I have so many words and so many things in my head that I fear this will be a long story...longer. (Crap joke with dad). 
As a little girl I remember him with so many memories, standing on his shoulders tall and proud, playing leap frog over each other (he always won). I remember him always having a pocket full of change and jangling it around before he emptied it into our pockets. Sometimes waking me up in the night by accident as he stroked my face and kissed my head, this was usually after a traumatic 'shout' from his time in the fire brigade. If something upset him and it involved kids, he would come and kiss us, tuck us in.
I remember him pulling us out of bed several times to go sledging in the dark, pinching mums baking sheet to go grass sledging in the summer. He made life fun. If ever he told me off, or god forbid shouted at me, I would pull my bottom lip out and before you knew it, he was apologising to me for shouting! But he was firm, and fair. He insisted on manners, and courtesy, and kindness. Calm down and think about things, he would tell me. Don't be so hot headed or fiery.....still hear his words now as I want to flash.
When I moved down to Torbay to start a new life with dad, we became best friends. He got dragged to every nightclub. We would clear a podium to dance proud with dad, making him do the Russian leg drop to the song: I like to move it. We used to have many walks home at stupid o'clock doing our drunken talks about how much we love each other and we are the best dancers. Some may think I was sad, spending all my time with dad. But I didn't care, he was my best friend. My brother and I dragged him into house parties against his better judgement. To be fair, I think half the time it was to make sure I was safe. Can't beat them, join them right.
We mopped too many tears of each others throughout the years, deaths, heartbreak and illnesses. But every hospital visit, no matter whether it was for births, emergencies or routine, he was always there and waiting to pick up the pieces. He would make us all laugh in the hardest times of our lives, make us feel proud of ourselves in the best times and hug like there was no tomorrow whatever the situation.
Life moves on quickly and more memories build up. From being picked up from school in the fire engine (my dad was the coolest right) and getting blue lighted home, to watching sunsets on a beach in Italy. From crawling into his bed and pulling his eyes open to start the day, to laying on his bed in the hospice and making him laugh so hard he hobbled/ran to the toilet.  Throwing me out of a speedboat to learn to swim with clothes on, to the endless beach bbq's with the family. Dancing to Elvis tribute at a RM dinner to watching him having to down a bowl of Port as he was in the RAF and on a RM camp. (If you know, you know)
My heart is full of memories and love for him, and I have to find a way to think of them and remember them without it being so painful and physically hurting.
What I will promise you dad, is to love my family like you loved us. To know that a smile is something that brings more happiness than any amount of money can. You made me look you in the eye and promise not to let my grief and sadness define who I was, to live and make more memories with my loved ones. I'm going to try, for you, for me and for them. I miss you dad, I love you so much. Sleep easy and see at the final RV. Dons xx