I'm sitting in the den with my father, Jasmine and Micah, listening to the conversation Micah is having with my dad. Micah is a preacher inside and out and my dad is actually listening. I think the older he gets, the more he is mellowing out and becoming less narrow-minded. Years ago, he would have stopped the conversation before it even started. And now, he's actually discussing the bible with my son. People can and actually do change.
We had a good day today. First, we all went to see my mom and she was happy to see everyone. Jade and Donovan lit up her eyes as she played and sang with them. Later, we went to my brother, Danny's house. First we went to the barn and met his miniature horse and standard horse, who were both so beautiful. I had never been that close to a horse, where his nose was right in my face and he snorted and blew on me - it was pretty funny. His eyes were so telling and it seemed he knew what I was saying. He nudged me to keep petting him. He was actually sweating on his skin from the heat. We also met his five dogs - a mastiff, collie, shitzu and 2 chiuhuas. They were all wonderful, except for the chiuhuas who kept barking - they were real obnoxious. It was really hot outside, so we decided to go swimming in Danny's pool. Afterward, we left when Danny took Jason and the kids to the Tampa Airport hotel as his plane leaves in the morning. I hated to kiss my grandkids goodbye, but I'll be seeing them in a few weeks when I go home, so I kept telling myself that.
It was great having Jas and the kids here this past week. And my dad even behaved himself, which was a surprise. It was a little hectic at times, but that's what children bring to the picture, so it was just fine. Both the kids had a blast swimming in the pool and looking for the alligators. We actually saw an alligator floating down the canal a few days ago. Jason took a video of it and I stood there watching as I couldn't believe how big it was. And to see it in person just several yards away, was surrealistic for sure.
Jade kept my dad entertained and he loved playing with her. He showed a gentle side of himself as he communicated with her. He seemed to really love it. It was fun to have them here this week, for both my mom and dad, as well as myself. But alas, they had to leave to get back to their lives in Madison and so they went on their way. Micah, Jasmine and I went out to dinner and afterwards, they went to the beach to watch the sun go down. I was exhausted, so I stayed home with my dad and we watched the news until they came home.
And so, we are in the den talking and that is something I enjoy doing, but my father didn't always converse with me like this. For some reason, he always made it clear that he thought I was an "idiot" and what I had to say really didn't matter or didn't make sense. I don't know why he acted like that - but he never took me seriously. I don't know what I ever did to cause him to act that way. All I do know now, is that we are improving our relationship slowly, day by day, and I don't think he thinks I'm an idiot anymore...
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