he could fall asleep 'at the drop of a hat'
one minute with us
next minute
head back
jet fighter sounds
erupting
i'm like him
that way
i have to pull over sometimes
to take a 10 minute nap
so i don't
run off the road
he often had to do that
some days
i lock my door after school
get my square pillow for my feet
the little one for my head
my lap blanket
2 chairs
(one for torso/one for elevated feet)
and
snap!
i'm asleep
must not be any jet sounds erupting
the custodian would mercilessly tease me
if there were
then i'm up
ready to finish
organizing for the next day
and
organizing for the next day
and
drive home
just like him
he loved gifts
we loved giving them to him
much more fun
watching him open his
than us opening ours
he didn't have much as a child
christmas gifts were sparce
mama always got him a special gift
fooling him into thinking
there wasn't one
then
surprise!
they each tried to make up
for what had lacked
in their childhood lives
some don't see it that way
but i do
christmas is tough
for me
while it's joyful
i have wonderful:
husband
children and their spouses
grandchildren
brothers and families
sisters-in-law and families
friends
i have a home
food
job
love
but i miss them
dad and mom
i put up her tree
again this year
he was thrilled the first year i did
he didn't decorate
after she died
that part of christmas
went with her
but he enjoyed
our decorations
especially 'her' tree
he found joy in those around him
but
he never stopped missing her
just like i never stop
missing them
(no pictures of mom)
as i read folks' blogs
thoughts of christmas
the meaning
one thought centers tonight
i miss them
my next task --
putting out all the angels
she bought me
over the years
beginning with the december
my daughter was born
she made dad promise
to keep the tradition
he always signed the card
"Love from mother and dad"
he must have made my husband promise
because i still receive one
every christmas
i cherish them all
but
they make me
miss them---
mom and dad
yet where would i be
without those cherished memories?
i could have been
i could have been
a "throw-away" child
like the one boy taken to the hospital last week
from my school
from my school
no one wanting him
memories can hurt
but
i can't imagine
not having had the love
that made the memories
yes, i miss my parents tonight
as tears roll down my cheeks
but
i'm grateful they were precious
to me
so that i have
reasons
to miss them
part of imperfect prose on thursdays
This is so precious. We are so very blessed to still have my Dad (90) and Mom (87) still with us. I cannot imagine life without them and cherish every moment we have together.
ReplyDeleteI am so thankful you have such special memories.
Among everything else what jumps at me is the "sleep" for just a few minutes. I can't do that... never have. A cat nap is a killer for me... I either get to sleep for a couple hours or I'd better just pour more caffeine into my system and keep moving on. Sometimes I wish I could be a "you".
ReplyDeleteGlad you have such a sweet heart towards your dad, even tho you miss him so much.
i miss mine too
ReplyDeleteThis is such a sweet remembrance of your parents, God bless them for what they gave you :)
ReplyDeleteI miss mine, too ... and am filled with gratitude for the memories. My heart goes out to that dear boy and all those he represents.
ReplyDeleteOh Beth... I SO feel your pain and heartache... Yet there is a JOY in our memories. Great pictures of your sweet Daddy.. You are lucky to have his trait of being able to get 'power naps'.... My mother used to take a 5-10 minute nap late in the afternoon--but I have never been able to do that. SO--I envy you for that.
ReplyDeleteI miss my parents also--and at Christmastime, the memories are there BIGTIME.... Thanks for a great post.
Hugs,
Betsy
And now the tears are rolling down my cheeks, as I read this... especially the part about the cards.
ReplyDeleteoh beth... i want to hug your dad, he seems so lovable. what a beautiful portrait of your parents. you've made me miss them too, even though i never knew them. love to you. (btw, this is the last imperfect prose until the new year. merry christmas!)
ReplyDeleteWhat a precious tribute. Your words remind me of my grandparents who I miss terribly sometimes. Memories will have to tie us over until we see them again. What a glorious day that will be. Blessings to you this Christmas season.
ReplyDeletesuch a beautiful tribute to your parents and christmas memories.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderfully sweet tribute to your parents -- it's so wonderful that you have such good memories of them. Like Emily mentioned, your dad looks so lovable!
ReplyDelete