things I didn't consider...

Emilio reminded me, last week, that having Grandpa here means that it will be harder to let him go, when the time comes.

I honestly hadn't considered this, when mulling the possibilities of his coming to live with us. I wouldn't have said that I was particularly close to my dad, I sort of just knew that he was out there, not too, too far away. But now, as he settles into our home, I feel myself drawing nearer to him. I find myself growing fond of his peculiarities...of the way he marvels over the Starbucks french press (and other modern gizmos), of his television too-loud-in-the-room-across-the-hall, of the way he asks me, each morning, if we need anything from the market.

I find his list-making endearing. And I love that, at the end of the day, he'll report that he forgot to get such-and-such (in spite of the list). I have asked him to consider the canvas bags for transport during his outings to Target. He prefers the plastic, we may need the bags...

then I just find a kind way to suggest that the bags are choking the planet (what about those poor cows in India?) and let the issue go...

I think that all of this means that I am closer to him, already. I know it means that I am more tolerant than I thought I could be.

and loving my dad more, at this point in our lives, is certainly worth considering...

Baseball and old movies…

My very sweet special-man-friend, K, is able to pull the best from dad. They can talk baseball and old movies like nobody’s business.

Dad is a genius in these realms. And I guess I never knew it…conversation in our house never led into these areas. In any case, dad and K can talk and be specific and name players and dates and list films and favorite actors and, just basically, be darn smart together.

It’s no wonder dad couldn’t indulge these interests while raising children with my mother. They had a really sick daughter to care for, that demand, and others, kind of detracted from what they might have given to each other…

But the fact that dad had all this knowledge sort of stored away impresses me now. The fact that he can remember these things—events that happened 50+ years ago—is remarkable, to me.

And I’m so glad that these two neat guys can share this information with each other…makes me appreciate each of them more…

These teen years…or, wait your turn for the bathroom…

Dad probably never thought he’d have the privilege of watching
another young girl navigate her teen years…though certainly, Eva does
this maneuvering with a fair share more grace than her ol’ ma did…

Never thought he’d get to watch another adolescent boy move
recklessly from teenager to young man (though, for sure, Emilio makes
this all look easy…)

Guess again, dad!

Lucky for you, I get to do the dirty work—

discipline
cook for
nag
reason with
shop for
clean up after

And you get to, simply, love…

With a laugh or two thrown in for good measure.