Life is....

Life is Sometimes Hard ...

My father's father died the day before my birthday, somewhat unexpectedly.

My father's mother was hospitalized a week ago, not exactly unexpectedly.

What do they say about couples who have been together forever?

They often die within a month or so of one another.

The day before Father's Day?

My father spent an hour attempting to get my grandmother to eat.

Success was three-fourths of a "Hood" ice cream cup...

And talk of heaven and whether or not she'd see her husband again.

Which, all in all, good and bad, makes finding words and stringing them together...

Difficult,

Hard,

and

Bittersweet.  

In the end, a few things are known.

My father's father consistently cut off the top of my father's head in pictures after I was born,

Focusing, as my father says, on what was important ... the baby.

My father's mother looked on, thrilled that I had her dimple,

Dimples under our right eyes.

My father got a brand new baby, me, to truly smile, regardless of what is said about babies and smiles.

And, on this Father's Day weekend, he is both a good father and a good son.

Copyright 2013 ->Shannon