My walks are often filled with memories. Depending on my mood of the day, I might find myself teary-eyed; grinning stupidly; or even laughing out loud, surprising other walkers around me.
The latter happened this week when something I saw along my walk brought a strong memory of my father into my head.
Mom and Dad had just moved into a retirement home. Dad was doing his best to accept the situation and making an effort to take advantage of new opportunities the residence provided. Despite his failing eyesight, he found another man to play pool with; used the treadmill daily and was generally up for anything on offer (except singing).
The first activity newsletter arrived at their door and Dad found "Polish Change" scheduled on one day. He had no idea what to expect but the subject led to his memories of world travel during his merchant navy days. Although he'd never been to Poland, he looked forward to meeting other like-minded world travelers or hearing from some Polish Son or Daughter.
He arrived at the appointed room early (I credit him with the early-arriving gene I inherited) and waited patiently.
He was soon joined by a woman carrying a basket. Although, as mentioned, his eyesight was slim, he watched in wonder as she emptied the basket's contents onto the table. Rather than the coins he'd imagined, the woman was spreading out bottles of nail polish.
Dad stood up, excused himself and made a hasty retreat but shared the story with each of us, bringing us all to tears of laughter.
Thank you Dad for keeping me laughing, even after you've left this world.
