One Year...

Time, as they say, flies... when you are having fun... and I suppose that is true... One year ago something happened that changed my life... for the better... 

It was the night on which Dad and Betty had their first date.  Awww... yup a whole year already.  Betty had tickets to a show in a town about an hour from where they live and after several call attempts that ended with her hanging up the phone before completely dialing the number... finally she called and let it ring.  Dad answered.  Betty asked Dad to join her in seeing the show and Dad accepted. Since then the two of them have been pretty inseparable.  (Insert smile here.)  

The difference in my father's quality of life has been beautiful to see.  I am so proud of him, for opening his heart to Betty.  Although Mom had told Dad she did not want him to be alone... that he was too young to spend the rest of his life without companionship.  Even though Mom had given him permission, I feared that Dad would not be open to the idea... 

Enter Betty.  

I am thankful for her courage... for calling Dad and asking him out.  Thankful for her self proclaimed inability, as the home economics teacher, to make brownies, needing Dad's assistance (date two).  Betty has provided Dad with companionship..., and more importantly has helped him find his smile.  She tells me that he has a great smile, that he smiles with his whole face... and I hope she know that she has played a part in that.  Dad's smile and laughter has, in the last year, become genuine, not forced... and he is happy.  

She and her daughter have welcomed Dad in to their lives and along with that accept my sister and I and my nephews... a big package deal!  

When mom and I talked one afternoon, on her bed, when she told me that she knew none of us wanted to think about life without her, but that she needed me to know that she wanted Dad to find someone to care for to be with... it was hard for me to imagine.  It didn't take me a lot of time to know that offering my blessing to Dad  was important to him and was absolutely what I wanted for him... Of course it was hard to see Dad with someone besides my mom... but... in some ways Mom may have had something to do with Dad and Betty.... and would be happy at the way Dad is living life... 

Thank you Dad, for being brave enough to open your heart to Betty... Betty, thank you for loving my dad... you are a gift to him and to our family.