Earlier this week, I could hear Dad talking before I turned the corner. You could tell in his voice—he was in a great mood. He was shootin’ the breeze with the staff. Two Hats, One Shoe I turned the corner and there he was: two hats, one shoe. His fancy brim stacked on top of…

Bittersweet Chorus Nostalgia has a way of sneaking up on you when you least expect it — on vacation, under fireworks, or in the chorus of a song. When that bittersweet memory hits, you have a choice: will you look back with longing for what’s gone, or with gratitude for the moments that made you?…

Living the Butler Door Life One of my favorite features of our old house is the butler door. It swings in both directions between the kitchen and what used to be the formal dining room. We never used it that way. For years, it was the playroom—filled with dollhouses, video game controllers, and the sound…

Grace in Letting It Be Wrestling with Half-Truths In the beginning, I found it undignified to lie to my dad. (Don’t get me wrong, there were times in my adolescent years, lying to get out of trouble came pretty easily.) He used to ask about his truck everyday and with peace, I could tell him…

saturday Trips One of my favorite memories from childhood is Saturday mornings. My dad would wake me up and leave the younger siblings in bed. We’d head to the hardware store to gather supplies for the day’s project. I never knew what the project was before we left but it didn’t matter. It was just…

Growing up my dad was always “fixing” something. He could look at a part and know what size wrench he needed. He was the one I called if something was broken. I trusted him and his ability to “fix” it.  The Weight of the flashlight Holding the flashlight was not for the weak at heart!…

Bright Colors and A Hair Cut! Looking Good, Hollywood! A style all his own No matter the situation, my dad brought his style with him. When he was at work, he rocked his. 501s, denim shirt, and steeled toe boots. It looked good on him! When he first got sick he was confused about where…

In a matter of hours I went from “daddy’s little girl” to “daddy’s little caretaker”. When I got the call he was lost, I knew. Did he know? Immediately I went back in time to the first time my grandfather left the house and got lost. I remember the fear I heard in my dad’s…

Does he still know who you are? Yes! His face lights up when I walk in the room. It is not just my face he remembers. He sees his parents. He asks me if I have seen them. (We spent a lot of time with them.) There is comfort in the familiar faces of love…