Phone Calls and Fowls ~ Monday Mimisms

I'm thinking of two men this morning. One of them in Heaven and the other far removed from my life. The first held me on the day I was born; the second I could not hold. 

Today is the first day of school for Beans. Fifth grade! How is this possible? And yet he is bright and loving and opinionated and full of himself. Watch out, World. This boy is bold. I wouldn't change a thing about him. He has a teasing sense of humor (in the "gotcha!" kind of way) Reminds me of my dad, whose day was never complete without telling a corny joke. Now I realize that most times he just wanted to make me laugh (I rarely obliged) but it didn't stop him from raucously laughing out loud at himself. I miss that laugh. When he was in the hospital in his final days, he told the nurse that he did NOT want chicken on his lunch tray. (He hated chicken) She asked..."Whyyyyy won't you eat chicken? It's good for you." His eyes got huge and he looked at her like she'd lost her mind. He raised up in the bed and yelled, "Cause it's foul!!"
Wait for it. I heard the laugh. The entire cardiac unit from the end of one hallway to the other heard the laugh. Even in the dreaded hospital hours. 

Daddy in his shop..."tinkering"

Which brings me back to the first day of school.
 I am missing a phone call today. Every day for thirteen years of the twenty-two years I taught middle grades, he would call me on the first day of school. He wanted to see how my classes were and if all went well. And then....wait for it.....the "joke" would come. "You're STILL in middle school, Sis?" Ha ha! "Yes, Daddy, I'm STILL in middle school, but this time I'm the teacher, Daddy (wink wink). And then resigning to the routine I'd always say,  "I'm never going to get out of middle school! Not ever!!" And then we would laugh.   He's been gone for thirteen years and I so wish he would call to see if I'm still in middle school. 
And even though his teasing put me off at times, I know it was his way of connecting with me (his sullen serious child) and all things told this side of eternity..I wouldn't change a thing. 

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