For the month of March, I am participating in the Eleventh Annual Slice of Life Story Challenge. That means that I am writing every day for the month of March in the good company of the Two Writing Teachers community.
By Day 30, I thought I'd run out of things to say, thoughts to share, posts to write. And yet, even now as I sit at the keyboard, I'm debating between two very different posts.
Dad, this one's for you.
Lanny's beautiful post about his mother where he talks about the levy and its cracks makes this have to be for you. One of my first memories was heading to the levy in St Louis and learning the words to American Pie. We drove your gold Duster--I've written other stories about that car with the 'gator skinned-roof--and you told me to pretend it was a Chevy.
Holidays bring out the cracks in my emotional levy. We'll have people for Easter, and I'll hide jelly beans around the house. I'll try not to hide in any in places where they won't be found. Mom used to find them for days after we got sick of looking for your more elusive candies, even though you tried to remember where they all were. "You're getting warmer---" a favorite phrase toward the end of the hunt. The girls and their friends aren't quite old enough to hide a couple cases of ponies in the backyard like you used to do. Give me another couple of years, and I'll carry on that tradition.
I'll see you later today. I'll bring a lily by. You used to walk in with too many to carry, and many of your shirts had the telltale signs of carrying lilies--those stamen stains really don't come out. I can't tell you I'll go to church--that was something I did only for you and only in your company, not in your honor. And I can't tell you that I'll go to Sunrise Service either, but I will wake up on Sunday morning before the sun rises, I have no doubt, and I will go outside, and I will think of you and greet you and miss you.
Hard to believe that tomorrow will be the final post for the SOLSC 2018.
Happy Slicing,
What a beautiful tribute to your dad! Will you read this to him? My dad has been gone almost 25 years and I still miss him, pretty much every day.
ReplyDeleteYou've conveyed so much about your dad in this conversation with him. Most powerful words? "Holidays bring out the cracks in my emotional levy." I will be pondering the truth of that myself this weekend.
ReplyDeleteSo many of those things are true for me. The levy in St. Louis, my dad’s office over looked the arch, the lilies, no church, and sunrise reflection, we will be doing those things together though miles apart. I’ll think of you and them.
ReplyDeleteYou made me cry. What a beautiful tribute to your dad. I am sure he is one proud papa watching from above.
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post. Made me want to cry. Your dad sounds like such a special guy. Hoping your Sunday is peaceful and full of those good memories.
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