Sunday, June 21, 2009

Well, here it is a few minutes before bed time on Father's Day and my thoughts are winding down. I thought maybe I should jot some of them down for posterity.

My kids are not here today, they are in Maui with their mom and step-dad and grandparents. And while I certainly miss them, I have nonetheless had a good Father's Day.

Some friends of mine that I hadn't talked to in quite a while talked to me after church this morning and when they found out my kids were gone were kind enough to invite me to their house to join them in their Father's Day get-together. They have three kids of their own as well as an aging father/father-in-law so it was nice of them to include me in their plans. I was honored to have been asked and felt right at home in the mix. Not only that, but the sun actually came out so we got to sit outside and soak it in. Both the company and the sunshine.

After I got home I took the obligatory Sunday afternoon nap. I may have even drooled on the couch pillow...a little. When I woke up I decided to go visit MY dad. Well, at least the place where he's buried. It's just down the street about a quarter of a mile and yet I haven't been there in years. It's close but it seems so very far away.

I've never been a big fan of visiting gravesites. I know there's nobody there, but today it was just nice to see my dad's name written somewhere permanent. I dusted off the grass clippings that covered his name and said a few things...mostly to myself. I loved that man and missed him today. I can't wait to see him again.

My day was topped off just minutes ago when my cell phone rang and there on the screen was a picture of my youngest boy. They each took a turn to wish me a happy Father's Day and tell me a little bit about their day. I was glad to hear the smiles in their voices and to know they were having a great time. It made me glad to have someone to miss.

It was truly a happy day for this father :)

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

Fly Like An Eagle

I'm lucky enough to live in a place where bald eagles are not an uncommon sight. I see them a lot on my route because, well because that's where they live I suppose. That, and the fact that there are acre upon acre of grassland there. You see, eagles like to eat such things as mice and rabbits so they prey upon places heavily populated by the fuzzy, furry little things...in fields of grass.

Now, every year about this time the farmers cut the grass to make hay or silage to feed their cows, and the eagles are out en mass. Today, I was fortunate enough to 'chase' an eagle down the road for about a hundred yards next to one such hay field. I always thought that eagles were one of the most majestic birds I had ever seen. They just seem to glide along so effortlessly. Well, today was the first time I had ever followed an eagle so closely, I guess you could say I had a man's eye view (don't ask me why it decided to fly right in front of me straight down the road), and as I watched it carefully I noticed that even when flying perfectly straight it's tail feathers are in constant 'adjust' mode, tipping ever so slightly left and then right and then more left and less right and....well, you get the picture. All this to say: just because it LOOKS easy flying straight, doesn't mean it is.

Do you suppose there's a lesson in that somewhere? Hmmmm.....