Love You Messages

I called my Mom this morning to tell her that I had had a curious visit by my Dad this week. This visit was made most curious by the fact that he’s dead and has been for 14 years. It wasn’t any sort of spooky apparition type thing; I may be an avid and devout Catholic, but I don’t see the Blessed Mother in the toasted cheese. Trust me, if I did see her I’d say, “Hey, Meg…look at that…CHOMP!” and enjoy a warm and crispy bite of her mantled head.

It’s how I roll.

Over the last 14 years, Dad has come in apparition form, or so I’ve been told. Recently, my daughter told me her “apparition story”. It was 1995 – Dad had passed in January. The month was August of the same year, and it was my sister’s wedding day. We all went back up to my Mom’s house for an after-reception reception. My daughter walked in to the kitchen and saw Dad leaning up against the table and he said, “Hi Meg!” She said “Hi!” and moved on. It hadn’t registered with her four year old brain that he wasn’t supposed to be there, being as he was dead and all. She had yet to really grasp the concept. See, I have never gotten those happy visits.

That’s apparently NOT how I roll.

I’ve talked before about how Dad manifests to me and he did it again this week. Reading the blogs, you see that I had gotten pretty nostalgic last week – (yeah, well, not the Korean stuff) the post about playing in the snow in particular. Facebook and my friends there were a wealth of opportunity to think about the 1970s and my then carefree life.

Driving in to work on Wednesday, I heard the song “The Last Farewell” by Roger Whittaker – one of Mom and Dad’s favorites.

the Last Farewell - Roger Whitaker

I hadn’t heard that song since June 9, 2007 – the day of my son’s wedding. At the time, I figured it was Dad saying he was around and that he loved us. I was moved Wednesday at hearing the song; and not a little concerned – my dramatic brain started working - what’s up Dad? Why you hanging out now? Who’s gonna die? What you prepping me for? But no call of dread came through all day and when I got back in the car after work, I had a long one-sided chat with Dad. It was nice, but not very fulfilling. You know how one-sided chats are.

That was nice, I figured. A lovely cap to a lovely week.

6:30 am this morning, the phone rings. Mind you, this is about the same time of day we got the phone call that Dad had passed. Well, here it was then, my black suit needed to be dry cleaned. Crap. It isn’t hard for you to imagine the four letter word that came unbidden to my lips. Braced for the worst I picked up the phone ~ and listened ~ school was delayed an hour due to inclement weather.

Oh for crying out loud (ha – yeah, like that’s what I thought – there were more four letter words).

Driving in to work it happened again. The other song that makes me think of Dad and cry whenever it comes on - “Like a Rock” by Bob Seger.

I called Mom. I told her I loved her.