Dad and Daughter

Father's Day brings back a lot of memories. The Arlie V. Aadalen home was a little different as far as 1950's and 60's stereotypes go. Mom was a good homemaker, she cooked and kept house, but she would rather have been outside fixing something, building tree-houses, or doing yard work. Dad worked for the State of Kansas in the computer room at the Employment Security Division. That was when the main computer occupied most of the first floor of the office building. He would marvel at how I can now post all these memories from my desktop computer, or my iPad or smart phone, and people will see them in seconds. Dad would have been such a tech nerd.

While Mom was the handyman around the house, Dad made sure my brother and I were exposed to the more artsy things of the world. We read a lot of books when I was little, attended community concerts at the municipal auditorium, took vacations to historical places and visited museums, art galleries, and of course, libraries. And airports. Dad loved to watch planes land and take off. When he needed alone time, he escaped into his radio room to his police scanners and ham radio.

My dad gets credit for teaching me how to swim, do taxes, and enjoy RV camping (Mom liked that, too.) But his legacy to me was first, to pass down his love for the Lord, and then for all things literary. When his first granddaughter was born, he did the same for her. Stacie loved to sit on Grandpa's lap and read...for hours. As she and her cousins grew up, Grandpa took them on countless trips to see and learn about our beautiful country. And yes, they let Grandma ride along...well, she usually drove.

My dad moved to Heaven in 1993. Stacie joined him four years ago tomorrow. It was Father's Day that year. It gives me such joy to know that Dad was there to greet her. I'm sure they've had a wonderful time together since then exploring the wonders of Eternity. And when Stacie's amazing dad and I finally arrive to join them, I won't be a bit surprised to find out that they both spend a lot of time in the Heavenly Library. After we see Jesus and the rest of the family, it's probably the first place they will show me.

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