Thursday, December 22, 2011

shiny, new beginnings

On Monday night, Chris & I were making our way through Target like mindless, holiday shopping zombies. We've found that holiday shopping (at least in the form we do it: as late as possible in the season) is an out-of-body experience. We force ourselves to go in the store with one thing on our minds. In zombie speak, it would be brains, but translated into our holiday verbiage, maybe DVDs or candles or wrapping paper. We push through the hordes of other holiday shopping zombies to get said item and then wait and wait and wait along with the other zombies in line after long line. I chose to compare us to zombies because after leaving the stores we feel dead tired and our nerves are worn dangerously thin from the mission.. we are pretty much lifeless hunks of roaming flesh
So.. Monday night at while on a zombie mission at Target my dad gave my phone buzz. He was just up the road from us eating chicken strips at Dairy Queen and wanted us to stop by and visit with him since we were in the area. We sat with dad and gabbed about our days and laughed about nonsense. A lull in the conversation gave way to dad saying in an emotion I could not decipher at the time (It was easy to think something bad happened) "I've got something to show you" as he reached in his jacket pocket. I had no idea what he could have been fumbling for. I literally thought that my first student loan bill had just come in the mail to his house instead of ours... Instead, he pulled out a silver colored jewelry box. My first reaction = "DaaaaaaAAAAADDD!!!"
The summer before my senior year of high school, my mom left my dad. In doing so she left my siblings and I, as well. An ugly 2 year long divorce followed. Nerves were worn ragged, emotions ran high, but all the while all 3 of us kids stuck by my dad's side. He'd always been our "rock" and we weren't going to have that any other way. Dad and Mom had been high school sweethearts who had been married for almost 20 years. Like any divorce, it takes its toll on everyone but this one was particularly ugly. My siblings and I cannot talk about what went down throughout the proceedings without getting fist-clennichingly, consumingly angry.
When I was a sophomore in college, dad remarried. It was a short time between when they met and when they got engaged, and then a short time after, divorced. I prayed that my dad would not give up on finding someone.
He met Crystal.
She liked old Humphrey Bogart movies (heck, her pug is even named Bogart)
She liked hiking with my dad at the state parks up the road from us.
She went camping with my dad.
They could spend hours together antiquing
They laughed at each other
He cooked for her
She made every effort to get to know us 3 kids
Every gift she has ever given me has reflected the above so greatly that I cry
She walks in the room and my dad comes to life
She is spunky and spirited
She has a very kind soul
She is a hard worker
She gives back every bit of sarcasm my dad can dish out playfully
She is the one for him
Crystal & Dad in his '64 Thunderbird parked outside the shop right after he got it

Last night, he took her to dinner at an Italian restaurant that has been around since the 1930's that we have always frequented as a family since I can remember.
They used to have dinner there a lot when they first started dating three and a half years ago.
I called him before he picked her up and wished him good luck and told him to call me as soon as he got a chance that night.
Chris and I were over at our friends' house for dinner and catching up when I got the text.
"Yes" was all it said.
Here's to happiness, Dad

Crystal, myself, & dad after my graduation this past May
I love you

4 comments:

  1. Aw congrats to your Dad!!! Beautiful ring. :)

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  2. Thanks Allison! Is such a simple, classic ring! Beautiful

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  3. SO SO excited for your dad and your family!! Such a special thing...
    xoxo

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  4. I am really happy for you. =)

    Followed the blog, hope you don’t mind. And who knows, maybe you’ll visit me someday too.

    thebookness.blogspot.com

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