Home Again

I'm back in Chicago visiting my family for my brother's 30th birthday. It feels so strange to not have my dad around. Jocelyn and I both missed his bug bone-crushing hugs and kisses we usually got when we walked in the door. His mountain of papers no longer sits by his leather lazy boy. There's a hole in the garage where is car used to be. The office door finally closes again since his rows of fleeces and flannel shirts are gone too.
As soon as we walked in the house, Elijah did a quick run through and then asked, "where's grampa?" It was tough remembering just three short months back. But at dinner, little Artie took big Artie's spot at the table. He's never sat there before. It was almost as if he was trying to connect with his special grampa in his own way. After Caleb and Jocelyn went with Gramma to her school's open house and Micaiah went to bed, Elijah and I went back down to Grampa's lazy boy, kicked back the foot rest and watched a couple innings of the Cubs game. It felt like I was sitting on my daddy's lap again. It's amazing how much of my relationship with my dad I have and continue to relive with my boys. Grampa's not here... but he lives on anyway. God bless you Daddy.