Tuesday's with Lenny

On Tuesday nights during the school year, Beth has rehearsal with the Ephrata Cloister Chorus, so except for when I have an Elder Executive Committee meeting to attend, I often spend Tuesday nights with my Dad.

Growing up, Dad and I didn't have the closest of Father/Son relationships and heading off to boarding school when I entered grade 4 didn't help. I can't imagine how difficult that was for my parents. Until that fateful Sunday night, one of my Dad's traditions with his two sons was to tell us purple squirrel stories. It was only when my parents dropped us off at the dorm that afternoon that it dawned on me that the purple squirrel tradition would end. Lovingly, Dad spend the better part of an hour walking around the yard, recording installments for us to listen to each night on a tape recorder. I don't know to this day whether that was premeditated or not. Sadly, we only listened to one or two episodes; it just didn't fit in with the dorm schedule and I let other interests invade my time. Never would I have guess that 20+ years later, we'd be where we are today.

Since Dad's moved in with us, coming up on 3 years ago now, I've had a lot of opportunities to share new experiences with him as we've traveled to doctor appointments, worked on getting his business matters in order and also pursued items of interest. He's not the man I knew growing up, the shell is the same, but his capacities are but a fragment of what was. Even so, we're able to experience things together and weld a relationship together.

And so many Tuesday's during the school year, Dad and I are doing something together. Last night, we took in the Ephrata Fair - more about that next time...