Dad and Mom laughing at the back of our huge yellow Chevy station wagon, nearly three decades ago. The same wagon that they would load up every September to take me up to college. The same wagon they would load back up again in May to take me and all my stuff back home. Right there in the parking lot outside the dorms, my Dad, along with all the other dads, would be carefully packing the cars and kneeling down to peer under, to make sure that they still had some road clearance left! Eight times they did it - and that doesn’t count all the trips they made my freshman year to visit their ever so homesick daughter!Visits, phone calls, letters, cards - all tangible little lifelines to a baby bird who so wanted to leave the nest, but had the feeling Thomas Wolfe was right and therefore home was where she should stay. Would I go back? Yes. For one more hug from Dad; one more chance to say I love you and thank you and all the things I know I said, but would love to say again. If I had the power I would go back and halt the Alzheimer’s before it robbed my Dad and all of us, of him. But would I go back and change the course? Sorely tempted though I would be, I don’t think so. I don’t know of any other way to get to where I am now. And this place, here and now, I would never, ever change. This feels like they look in the photo; joyous, victorious, full of laughter and delight.
(June 19, 2007 - I tried to post this yesterday, but nothing would upload! Not sure if it was a problem with Blogger or something with our DSL connection or...?)
4 comments:
Everyone should have a super-hero - love the photo, I hope it makes you laugh every time you see it ;o)
What lovely memories too. That's the thing about losing family, remember the bad times, because it makes the good times all the better.
It's a great picture, even makes me smile at all the daft things a dad can get away with! :o)
Thanks Roo!
I do love that photo. I also love the look on my Mom's face - very happy and just a wee bit embarrassed! Glad it made you smile too.
I could kick myself that I cut the print to fit in a collage frame "back in the day"! I hope I find the negative one of these days, because our new printer has a gizmo that lets us SCAN them in!!! Will wonders never cease?
;o)
- Lee
Brilliant - if I find the negative of me in my cowboy suit (aged 8), I may change my blog pic, as my printer does the whole scan thing too!
Excellent!
Hope you find the negative as that must be a great photograph!
<);o)
- Lee
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