a sad anniversary day of a death, and so I try to remember the good days....
One morning I had a business meeting and had spent a few extra minutes
getting ready. The meeting went well and on the way back I figured what
the heck and went to my dad’s office. Even though he’s 87(!) he’s
still working –- old lawyers don’t die they just … whatever …
He hadn’t seen me as me. I’ve kept it as low key as possible till now, when we did see it each other at family gatherings
and the like. Still the past few years were tough ones between us (him
and my mom, and me) because they didn’t quite understand this, didn’t
quite understand me, and some harsh things have been said by me and by
them.
But time is going and I am me.
He opened the
door to his office, and smiled when he saw me. And I had hope. And
then we sat and talked for a while, which with my dad means he says 95%
of stuff and I try to say something more than 5%, but that was okay too,
cause that is the way it’s been. And he said some good things about
me, and they were nice to hear. There was peace.
I left after a
little bit and started going to where I had to go but then I figured
their house isn’t too far away, and mom was probably home…so I stopped
there too. And she came to the door and smiled too when she saw me and
she said good things too. But she was looking at me up and down and
her expression was slowly changing as we talked. Uh-oh, I figured, I
better get out quick, before all the good feelings evaporate.
“All right, mom, I’ve got to go. Thanks.”
“But wait, Joey (!) wait.” And her look wasn’t all that good now and I
braced myself for what was coming. Because they are too old -- too set
-- to really figure this out. And the strict Catholic background we
had been raised in, with priests and nuns in our family, Eastern Rite
Catholicism whose main tenet was above all else, suffer, God put us on
earth to suffer, was about to come forth.
But I waited anyway.
And she said,
“Joey, don’t you think your skirt is a little too short?"
And I smiled, incredibly happily, said something appropriate and calming, and left.
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