And other things. Today would have been my dad's 73rd b'day if he hadn't left this world for his heavenly home 11 yrs ago this Dec. ~ As I prepare for the arrival of our newest family members (due to arrive this coming March, both my dear daughter & my dear niece are expecting in March)... I think about how much my dad would enjoy the great granddaughters that light up our lives every day. I remember when we had our daughter and my dad saw her for the first time. Someone mentioned that they thought she looked just like so & so in the family and my dad responded, "she looks just like herself"... such wisdom in those words. You know we all do this ~ look for the family resemblance and often we overlook the fact that we are all uniquely ourselves. Of course there is a family resemblance since she comes from the same ancestral gene pool she is bound to "look" like this one or that one in the family! Then I get to thinking how much my dad has missed out on ... but really the truth is I know he did Not miss out on anything! We simply missed his physical presence at each of the major events in our lives... like when the kids got married and then when their babies were born. My dad has been here in spirit all along. And very much alive in my memories (I suspect in others' memories as well.) so he has been here all along.
Now for a humorous thought ... okay not so much a thought as what happened. I am not one who believes in visiting the cemetry to "visit" those who have gone on ahead of us. In fact I think that you should check the grave site once in a while to make sure all is as it should be but that is enough. My dad has been gone for 10 yrs. and it was at least 8 yrs since I could recall stopping at the grave side to be assured that all was as it should be... and so I drove to the cemetry to put my mind at ease. I parked where I just knew his grave was located. Started walking around & could not locate my dad's grave at all. I walked way past where he should be thinking was I mistaken & he wasn't as close to the road as I thought? Maybe he wasn't as close to that tree as I thought? Well I must tell you I got to laughing as I'm walking all over knowing full well he was supposed to be near the road and not too far from the office and I simply can't find his grave. I starting talking to him, saying things like, "Okay dad where'd you go? Are you visiting someone else today?" "Is this your idea of pay back since I don't come here to visit??"LOL After a panic stirred up inside of me that I simply could not find his grave I left to ponder this nonsense. I know his grave is there & I know it is not far from the roadway & I also know that if you park near the office you really have a short walk to his grave. Why I could not find it is beyond me. So I related this experience to my husband. His response was laughter (along with mine) but also he stated he could find it ... after all we both know where he was buried how is it possible I couldn't find the grave?
Yes I did bring him to the cemetry & asked him to find my dad's grave for me. We both walked all over & way out of the area we both knew he had been buried in simply because we could not find his grave! Both of us left feeling weird about it ... like he simply moved just to teach us a lesson.
In the end we laughed it off & during the week I stopped in when someone was in the office ... they looked him up on their map & promptly showed me where his grave is... just where I looked for it mind you! Right near the roadside & across from the office. I found it funny so I share it with you. Funny because we can "know something" and still be wrong. We can look for something and it's right in front of us all the while we search for it. And funny because even though I know my dad has gone on to a better place to wait for each of us his sense of humor lives on in us.
My dad, was quiet, stubborn, entertaining, handy, strong, knew how to show emotion, knew how to hold his opinion until it was sought out... and so many more descriptive words can be applied but you still would have benefitted more from meeting him in person then through a second hand descriptive narrative. He was my dad. And even though he had his faults (like all of us) he was very much loved & he will remain in my heart, my thoughts & my memories. I will share stories of him with my grandchildren so that they might feel as if they have some memory of him too even though it is my memory they share.
I currently have two scarves started ... love them both & can't wait to see them finished. I also got the urge to work on my grandbaby's baby afghan so I now have that underway as well.
I need to complete my packing list & figure out what items I must shop for before our departure. My mom & I are both getting really excited. This trip will be so much fun I can hardly wait the 2 weeks it will take to get here.
So much to do so I will get busy once more.
Take care ... and I do wish you all frog free projects!
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