I had a really, really nice visit with my dad.
I’m so glad we both took steps to make that happen–him especially, as he did more. I got up there late afternoon, he showed me around his business and all the cool new equipment they’ve gotten since the last time I was there, and introduced me to a bunch of his staff. Then we went and watched the State of the Union speech (the first TV I’ve seen in like a year); then out to dinner, where we started talking.
The first part of the conversation was more general catching-up, which was quite good. But then after dinner, we stayed up late and got into bigger stuff. Our whole history, from my parents being so young when they had me (21), up through our time on the Land, and then their divorce, and the advent of step-parents, etc. And on through my adulthood and he and Stepmom having my half-brother, and my marriage to my ex, all that. And through it all, our communication with each other, both bad and good–and our different perspectives on it.
He told me things I hadn’t known were true, but hearing them, I knew they were. And I know he’s hearing me too: my feelings of missed connections, of his scarcity in my life.
We’re both going to do better. We’ve got a plan. We’re understanding each other.
I’m so very happy about this. Thank you, Dad.