Dad's here

Dad is alive and well. I see him every morning, usually around 7, although it's getting earlier all the time. He loves mornings. Cheerful. Upbeat. Glowing. "Another day!" he seems to say with his smile.

I hear his giggle and note his grin. It may be the way he holds his mouth, or the twinkle in the crystal blue eyes. Or his calves.

I like to spend time with him at lunch when I'm at home. We'll sit together, and I'll listen to him chatter on about his day. Maybe we'll watch a little TV. Just to sit there together, in the warmth of the kitchen while it's cold and miserable outside...these are precious moments.

After dinner he prefers a treat, usually ice cream. Vanilla is his favorite. Bedtime comes early and he likes to wind down the day with a little more TV. We pray, I tell him goodnight, and then it's off to bed.

Colton Lee is, so far, a clone of his Grandfather. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Stocky build. Even temperament. Smiles a lot. Even wiggles his feet the same way.

It's almost supernatural, really. There are moments when we'll lock eyes and it's as if I'm looking right at Dad, the resemblance is so startling.

And in some other-worldy way, he seems to acknowledge it, too. And I wonder, do angels exist? Is this something divine that God had planned all along to help ease the pain of grief?

Whatever it is, it's a surreal and unexpected dynamic of life these days. A life still plagued by grief, but a journey softened through Dad's little carbon copy.