Dad

I believe I let too much time go by between blogs. I probably lose a few readers along the way when I do that, not that I had a lot to begin with, but that doesn't diminish the value of each and everyone on of you. You know who you are.

If you will indulge me, I'd like to tell you a story.

Once upon a time, there was a little girl, let's call her Mary. She adored her father to the ends of the universe and back again, still does and always will. Most of what she knows to be true, she learned from him.

He is a strong man in character, and seemed so big and invincible when she was young...I guess all adults then seemed big, especially when your 3 foot tall. A gentle man with an intuitiveness about people and humility that is just breathtaking. He is an amazing listener with abounding empathy for people and their human conditions and situations. She thought he hung the moon, she still thinks he hangs the moon and always will.

Mary adores her father...when she is upset or sad, she needs to hear his voice, because it calms her as only Daddy can do. There was never a time she didn't feel his love through a look, gesture, word. She adores him. Mary would sit with him in his room and they would talk about everything and everything he has to say is precious and important. She stores all these wise and important gems in her head and she uses them constantly in throughout her lifetime, his lessons spill from her mouth to her children, spouse, friends, co-workers, siblings..

He is a smart man...very, very smart. Mary hopes that maybe someday she can be like him...wise, humble, giving, generous...she aspires to be all these things because she loves her Father for all these qualities and wants to be more like him.

As Mary got older, the conversations continued over the phone... she didn't feel like herself if she didn't talk to her Dad at least once a week. He is always there for her and she can still feel his love over the phone. She adores him.

Then came the day Mary's father became ill. It is hard for Mary to accept...because he is her Dad, he can hang the moon, she adores him. She hopes she can make the pain go away with her sheer will and love for him....she prays...she prays...she will continue to pray because this is her Father, this is a wonderful gentle man that is good to the bone and should not be in pain.

She loves him and thinks he can hang the moon - I love him and I'm pretty damn sure he can hang the moon.