I'm in the possession of an hour before my day starts.
As I'm packed for it all and already had breakfast out with Earl. I am insanely awake, which happens when you go to bed early and wake up before even normal work wake-up times. I've had nine or more hour days this week, so I could take off half of yesterday. Yesterday was Earl's Dad's Investigative Detective’s Graduation.
It's been a week of father thoughts, related and not. I've been home a year, which means we've now made it one full year more past the last time my father actually spoke any words to me. And yesterday, I thought about how, these people have brought me into their life. Not just this year, but off and on for almost a decade.
About how family is, also, the people who choose us, and the people we choose in return.
The Graduation was quite lovely. We manage to take pictures and videos of everything important. We, being the three children-esque people, while his wife pinned his badge on. And it was really awesome to see my Uncle Paul (my Godfather and first Episcopalian Pastor) there presiding over its beginning and end.
There is a part of me that calms, like the breeze, and brightens, like the sun, when I hear his voice rumble out across a hall no matter what its size. I laughed at his surprised look when he spotted me, and I even climbed half a stage to go hug him after the graduation, too.
There was a dinner out with all of their extended family, and everyone went back to their house for Champagne and Cake afterwards, too. My first time trying Dom Pérignon went pretty well. I'm not a champagne drinker much ever, but it definitely wasn't so bad. There was so much laughter and joking and catching up in this day.
He was adorably happy. Showing off his new badge, trying to take pictures of it, letting us all see it. Talking about what his new jobs, on top of his old ones, will be. I can't help smiling, even now, when I think about last night. He was so happy. It was a wonderful thing to see him get to here finally, and to be swarmed all around with people glad for him.
It's been a week of father thoughts, related and not. I've been home a year, which means we've now made it one full year more past the last time my father actually spoke any words to me. And yesterday, I thought about how, these people have brought me into their life. Not just this year, but off and on for almost a decade.
About how family is, also, the people who choose us, and the people we choose in return.
The Graduation was quite lovely. We manage to take pictures and videos of everything important. We, being the three children-esque people, while his wife pinned his badge on. And it was really awesome to see my Uncle Paul (my Godfather and first Episcopalian Pastor) there presiding over its beginning and end.
There is a part of me that calms, like the breeze, and brightens, like the sun, when I hear his voice rumble out across a hall no matter what its size. I laughed at his surprised look when he spotted me, and I even climbed half a stage to go hug him after the graduation, too.
There was a dinner out with all of their extended family, and everyone went back to their house for Champagne and Cake afterwards, too. My first time trying Dom Pérignon went pretty well. I'm not a champagne drinker much ever, but it definitely wasn't so bad. There was so much laughter and joking and catching up in this day.
He was adorably happy. Showing off his new badge, trying to take pictures of it, letting us all see it. Talking about what his new jobs, on top of his old ones, will be. I can't help smiling, even now, when I think about last night. He was so happy. It was a wonderful thing to see him get to here finally, and to be swarmed all around with people glad for him.