Having Dad in Town

For me having my Dad around means many things. First it means being able to rest easier and not have to "be" an adult. I am free to be the son that I was for my early years. Having my Dad around means laughter and seemingly unending sarcasm between the two of us that is exhausting to those in close proximity (Sonja). Having my Dad around means deep conversations about life and how we are moving through life and accepting life on lifes terms. It means being able to embrace the painful part of our past and embrace with big huge open arms how far the Lord has brought us.

I want to make one thing extremely clear. The relationship that I have with my dad is not the norm...I am in the minority when it comes to father and son relationships. The relationship that we have is a picture of brokeness that the Lord has grown into a picture of grace and redemption. We both have worked really hard and continue to work on ourselves and our relationship with each other.

Now that I have gotten all the heavy and therapeutic thoughts out of the way...we had a blast from the pancake dinner to being able to go to two cardinal games in a row (both games the cards won and the second game was 15 innings worth and we won 3-2), to 18 holes of golf in which we both played fairly well. I had a ball and as best I can tell my dad did too. Dad got to meet our newest family member Louis (actually Louis was Dad's greeter first thing in the morning!!)

Basically...imagine asking your dad if he wants to come visit you and he not only responds favorably but with ethusiasm and is almost giddy upon arrival. Wow, what a gift. Dad, please know how much your trip meant to me and it was packed full of memories that I will never ever forget.

**my favorite picture is the last one...the half smile and big wave...that is my dad