The Visit

I was walking on a hill filled with wildflowers.  They were beautiful.  As far as my eyes could see there were flowers of every color. Pink, yellow, purple, it was a sea of colors.  The fragrance flowed through the air. I could hear the whispering of the wind.  

I continued to walk breathing in the fragrance.  I was taking in the beauty of the colors that surrounded me.  That’s when I noticed the tree.  A big willow tree.  It stood alone at the bottom of the hill.

I began walking in that direction and as I got closer I could see the bench and just make out someone sitting on the bench.

Maybe I should be afraid.  I was out here alone.  But the figure looked familiar for some reason.

As I purposely made my way in the direction of the bench where this person was sitting I began to recognize him.  I began walking faster and waving.  Dad, hey dad!

I finally reached the willow tree and there sitting on the bench was my dad.  He sat there smiling.  His beautiful smile and sparkling eyes.  Just as I remembered him.  From his cowboy hat to his cowboy boots.  This was my dad.

“Dad I miss you!”  A tear rolled down my cheek.  My dad reached over and wiped it away, he nodded and smiled.

“I’m lost.  I’m not sure if I’m making the right business decisions or if any of my decisions are right.” 

My dad patted my hand and smiled.

“Dad I’ve lost all faith.  I prayed so hard and so much but God still took you away.  I haven’t stepped inside a Church since.  I feel so angry most of the time.  I’m just lost.”

Again, my dad smiled and nodded.  This time he handed me his Bible.

“Dad so much as changed since you’ve been gone.  You’ve got 5 great-grand kids now.  Kyle is working in Real Estate.  I quit my job to write and I’ve published a book”  I chatted away for what seemed like hours, telling my dad everything I could think of.

Dad just sat there smiling and nodding.

It was so good to see him smiling.  It was so good to get to talk to him again.

I finally ran out of things to say and sat there quietly.  As I sat there under that willow tree surrounded by the colors and fragrance of the wildflowers I began to remember our back-porch visits.

Often, we would sit in silence.  Both just sitting and not saying a word.  That is when I felt it.  The love.  The silence had let the love move into the air and surround us in a bear hug.

Just like when we had sat on his back porch, today the love surrounded us.  There didn’t need to be any conversation.  In the silence love is felt, it is fragrant, it is beautiful in color.

Every day I still wish I could talk to my dad.  But instead I visit him under this willow tree.  Not for conversation but for silence.

SSHHHHH! 

Do you feel it?  Can you smell it?  Do you see it?

That my friend is love.