missing dad

We made a quick trip up to Norfolk/Pierce yesterday after school (the last day!) to leave Shoes (the cat) with my sister's family while we're on vacation. So at the breakfast table this morning with my mom, our upcoming vacation was the topic of conversation over mom's fantastic homemade pancakes.

One thing led to another, and we began to talk about my dad's time in Germany when he was stationed there for the Army. Mom dug out slides (yes, you read correctly) of photos dad took while he was there. As I held the slides up to the ceiling fan light (until mom found the special little lighted viewer box), I saw beautiful riverbanks and castles along the Rhine River that we will probably see. I was the Arc de Triumph and the Effiel Tower in Paris which we, too, will be taking photos of. I saw my dad dapperly dressed in a sport coat, collared shirt, and fancy striped socks, casually holding a cigarette in his right hand. I saw my dad with a full head of hair!

I wish that a month from now we could sit around the kitchen table (perhaps polishing off a plate full of mom's waffles...) showing pictures to dad, comparing stories of how things have changed in the 50 years since he was there. Love you, dad.