A new way to miss dad

Today, I was fine. Most of the day. And then I remembered that I missed dad.

Today, I was able to talk about dad in the past tense and not be upset by it. I could say, "Dad would have liked that..." and I was OK.

What would dad have liked? The expression PMS meaning "Papa Must Suffer"! Poor man, he knew the meaning of those words, even if he didn't have the expression at the tip of his tongue.

And then a friend called and asked if he could have a few more of the holy cards that we gave out at dad's funeral. He is working on his relationship with the Blessed Mother and the image on dad's card was OL of Tenderness. This friend was close to dad and loved dad's spirituality. He is going to do something that dad would totally have done himself, and probably did do at some point or another... he is going to place the cards around him so that he will be quietly reminded of the Blessed Mother's care and concern whenever he finds an image of OLT again. And I expect that he might even offer up an occasional prayer for dad, too.

It was just nice to be reminded that my mom and my sisters and I aren't the only ones who miss and remember dad. And to realize that we all miss him in a different way, each one being a valid snap shot of who dad was to each of us, individually.

My neice was missing dad today, too. Via music.

I was missing dad at mass - via music. Close to communion. I think that is the hardest time, and I am not sure why, except that I know the gift of faith is the biggest gift dad gave me, and I feel him present in the mass - perhaps the communion of saints is closer to earth than I had realized.