Feelin' the Love

I was making third breakfast for my boys this morning. I. calls it his not-early breakfast. Early breakfast is at 7:00 am. When my dad fixes his breakfast they get second breakfast, and when Mama comes up from showering it's not-early breakfast. Yes, my children are bottomless pits, and I can only imagine what our grocery bill will be in ten years.

As I was saying: third breakfast for the kids. Dad was in the kitchen fixing the usual eggs, cottage cheese and oatmeal. The paper was out and we started talking about the atom smasher on the Swiss-Franco border. Dad read me part of the article out loud. He likes to do that. I can remember many mornings, afternoons or evenings when he's read part of a paper or article out loud that was particularly interesting to him. As I listened, I reflected on how much I like that he does that. I suppose it might irritate some people to be read to. But reading aloud is a social action. It says, I'm interested in this, and I think you will be, too. I want to connect with you, listen to this, isn't this cool? Talk to me, engage in discussion with me. And I like that about my dad.

For those who don't know him, my dad is a very unique person. Of the things most important to him, good manners, and good grammar rank pretty highly on the list. He is a gregarious host. If you visit his home, he will invariably offer a bowl of ice cream, or a cookie, or dinner. And the offer is in no way an empty one, he often persists until the offer is accepted. At the same time, he also maintains an air of aloofness that is very hard to describe. Perhaps it is dignity, perhaps it is pride, but whatever it is, it adds to his charm. He's a good man. He is infallibly consistent in his habits and routines. He has his faults, as we all do. But right now, I'm just proud of him, grateful for him and to him for what I've learned from him and what I've inherited as his daughter. Thanks Dad!