Today, a mom shared with me that her tall-handsome-20-year-old son revealed 2-days ago that he’s a gay. I’m glad she thought she could share her thoughts and emotions with me. We have never shared anything personal in the past.
…will keep sharing my thoughts and encounters from my walks with Sir Thomas.
“You just ate. You go sleep on the couch now, and let me eat my breakfast in peace,” I pleaded with Sir Thomas. Instead of leaving me alone, he kept his constant hopeful-gaze stuck on me; hoping I’d share my food with him 🙂 STUBBORN – can be his middle name! 🙂 🙂
“I’m so happy you are here,” I say to my Dad, gently kissing him on his cheek. “I am too. I am, too,” he replies reaching for his grand-kids. My daughter hugs him tightly. She is 2 1/2-years-old; and my son, 9-months-old. This is a penultimate to Honorific article which I wrote in July 2014. He made many trips to see us, but this was a trip my dad made 16 years ago. My kids are now, teenagers.
My daughter is standing up on an adjacent chair where my dad is sitting; her tiny body resting on my dad’s right shoulder. My dad is eating his breakfast. She’s watching him intently; now poking his cheeks, touching his head; then pulling his scarce hair; and finally, wanting to play with his food. She is trying to take his toast out of his hands. He let’s her take it. She dunks it in his tea! I react, “No, No, No!” My dad quickly comes to her defense, “Let her.” I step aside. I help my son eat his breakfast.
In focus, is my peripheral vision: The toast, all of it now, is drowned in his tea-cup. She is attempting to scoop it out with a spoon, only to splatter the content all over the table. I remain quiet. She puts the spoon down, but does not give up! She puts her fingers in the cup, and takes a bit of soggy toast out in her pincer grasp. A success! She feeds that to my dad. YUCK! He, lovingly, eats it. Patience and love, that was my dad. Once she was done, my dad gladly cleaned the mess.
Another beautiful sunny, warm, and breezy day. I look out the dining room window into our backyard and see my dad watching my daughter play in her sand pit. I’m so happy he is here! I notice him adjusting his thick eye-glasses, a few times. The breeze must be bothering his eyes.
It’s already evening, I’m making my way to the kitchen to fix dinner. I see my dad standing still in the hallway. I ask, “Is everything okay, dad?” He calmly says, “my vision seems blurry.” I’m nervous now; he then says his vision is good. I go on to make dinner. During dinner, we talk about the house-painters, who were coming to paint our house.
The house gets painted in two days. My dad seems happy with the paint job, “looks bright and beautiful,” he says. It’s also time for my dad to return home, in upstate NY. I live in the south. “Get your eyes checked, ASAP,” I remind him as we drive to the airport. He leaves. Tears roll down my eyes.
Life, after his visit, went on as usual for a few months. My dad’s eye-check-up went well. However, at his next eye-check-up, six months later, the doctor said he had to have an eye surgery. The ophthalmologist operated on both his eyes to save his vision. But, his vision did not return.
Life, for him, was in a dark place. He managed traveling with help, and came to “see” his grand kids. He kept his spirits up. He laughed and told us jokes while we sat together at the dinner table. I would let him know placement of food on his dinner plate – 12 o’clock was broccoli, 3 o’clock was bread, 6 o’clock chicken, and 9 o’clock potatoes, and so on.
Nine years had passed… “I’m a busy man, you know. My time flies, too. I THINK – all day long!” My dad would say to us, smiling, when he felt that we were feeling bad for him. My kids had grown older and taller; my dad, older and weaker. He continued living his life in peace, grace, and gratitude; and in deep darkness. A positive man in his core; my dad lived with great strength.
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Companionable.”
It’s been cloudy and raining, intermittently, all day since yesterday. Still, a nice fall day. Today, however, it’s chilly, due to cold gusty wind. I’m all ready for my walk, dressed in layers, for this day. But my walking companion, Sir Thomas, still in the same spot since 7:30 AM. It’s 11:15 AM, now. He looks like a hot-dog stuffed in a bun on our couch.
Hot-dog Sir Thomas
“Let’s get you ready boy, and go for our walk,” I say to him. He gives me a stare, which, I can hear loud and clear, “I am not going anywhere, today; you carry on alone, without me…I’ll try losing my extra pounds later.” “I’m not giving up!” determined, I said. Enough bugging from me finally gets him off the couch. Without wasting time, within seconds, I get him ready. We head out the garage door, and I turn left to walk out of our neighborhood. Suddenly I’m pulled! In the opposite direction!
“Let me…” Sir Thomas seem to say to me, pulling me to a spot in the middle of our front yard, “Pee!” Relieved, he looks around, and sets his stride back toward the garage door, to go inside. “No! We haven’t even started our walk!” I scream.
It’s ever-so-slightly sprinkling, and the wind has picked up…it’s gusty, for sure. He really wants to skip this walk! I pull him away from our house to get out of the neighborhood. He pulls me toward the house. I pull him away. He pulls me toward…I pull him away…he gives in…he has no choice. Sweet thing. I love him.
Off we go, outside our neighborhood. We hurriedly cross a street to get to our walking path. Those darn trees! Sir Thomas takes forever to move from there. He sniffs every angle of this one particular tree trunk. Then, of course, marks a spot on it.
“Hi, it’s not too bad out here.” Enjoying the sniffing.
We make a move again. He’d rather be snuggled, today, comfortably on the couch. He’s walking, today, because of me. He loves me!
Despite the weather today, we are enjoying the nature. We hear the birds chirp, the leaves rustle, the wind whistle, whisper and swoosh. We see no one else out here, today. But, we see hundreds of leaves here today, flying and falling to the ground.
“Leaves, leaves, and leaves! Every leaf has a potential to be sniffed and marked, by me. “
As we head back home from our walk, Sir Thomas’ pace gets faster. I smile at his eagerness to get home. Once inside the house, I notice his tail go up, completely.
“Glad that’s over!” Sir Thomas tells me; actually, his eyes tell me that! He hits the couch; yawns, stretches and gets ready to snooze. “Life, you are too good! If you leave, I’m following you.”
Never! Ever (ever) EVER am I leaving this couch!
Just so you know Sir Thomas, I had a wonderful time today. Those moments are now in the past. Those beautiful moments are behind us! This weather – if you leave me – I know you’ll be back again. This gusty wind and this chill – if you leave me – I know you’ll be back soon. Time – if you leave me – you are not coming back. Life – if you leave me – you are not returning. And, that’s the reason I take the time to enjoy my life with you, Sir Thomas:) Our walks are always interesting. We won’t let our walks leave us! We will walk tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and everyday after that!
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “If You Leave.”
She, with her Dad’s help, carefully takes the petunias out of its little container making sure the entire plant stays intact, the flowers and the roots, before gently lowering the roots into a bigger pot. (This picture is from 2015 spring season).
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Careful.”
Happy place is – the beauty on Earth!Happy place is – being with family and friends ❤Happy place is – Where food is 🙂Happy place is – Where I get aromatherapy 🙂Happy place is – Where I get to see the snow *Happy place is – Where I find this quote – A happy couple: he does what she wants and she does what she wants! 🙂Happy place is – a place where I can take a great nap 🙂
Happy place is – Where I find PASTA! 🙂 ❤
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Happy Place.”
No question about it, no explanation need to be given – Happiness is with you at all times; it’s yours to grab whenever YOU want!
I have read this quote hundreds of times. One reason, it sits on my kitchen counter:) Lot of friends have wanted a copy. I have enjoyed sharing this one with them. Now, I’m sharing this with my blog-world friends.
“I have been calm. Calmly sitting and watching Sir Thomas. What’s he doing? I want to get to where he is………nope…….no luck!” Dixie thinking and planning hard to figure out this situation:)
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Boundaries.”
“Hi you know what? I feel lazy and I’d like to rest now. You know why? You did not give me a snack this afternoon!” Thomas being a Sir Thomas.
It’s true, I did not give him a snack this afternoon. Guilty as charged! But did he tell you what happened during today’s mid morning walk? He did! Hope he told you the truth.
Here’s my side of what really happened: I had no idea what was about to happen, until it was too late – Thomas had already grabbed a full size Snicker’s Chocolate Candy Bar in his mouth. And, before I could finish screaming my words, “NO, THOMAS,” he had already inhaled the entire bar in one swallow! It all happened so fast! And, that’s the truth. (“I still love you Thomas.”)
“I’m so happy…I’m where I see FOOD…you are where you see me…now give me what I want, you big DUDE!” Sir Thomas’ thought – loud and clear. He lives for food:)
The Unstoppable Optimist! 