Dear Dad,

I had a dream about you last night. It's Mother's Day today, so it really should have been a dream about Mom or about my own children (or even about doing the dishes, like my dreams usually are), but it wasn't. It was definitely you and it was so vivid. This from the person that rarely even remembers dreams, let alone dreams intensely at all. Most of the time when I have vivid dreams, they are stressful ones. But no, this was a good dream. We were talking about something. I wish I could remember what.

I miss you so much. I can't remember what you said to me in my dream, but it made so much sense at the time. I really need your wisdom sometimes. If I'm lucky, when I'm talking to one of the siblings or to Mom, one of us will say something like, "You know what Dad would say...?" But it's just not the same. No one has your combination of humor, wisdom, and timing.

Usually, I can have a little sit down with myself and figure out what you'd probably say. You had a way of letting me talk and talk and then just listening while I came around to a solution. You also had a way of getting me to be less overly confident and more willing to consider another point of view. I like myself better when I'm acting that way. Today, though, I'm feeling a bit sorry for myself. I'd much rather just have you here than have to conjure you up out of memory. R

I don't know what kind of options you have or how dreams get worked out anyway*, but if you get a choice, could you come back tonight? I'll try really hard to pay attention and remember what you say this time.

Always with love,
k

*Actually, I do have a theory about this. I've always been okay with the concept that some people can get messages or inspiration or visions in their dreams. Probably the types of people that have dreams they remember in the first place or come from cultures and customs where prophetic dreams are expected. Since I'm not one of those people (on many counts, especially the fact that my dreams are almost always just a list of things I need to do tomorrow), I figure God has to talk to me in a different way since he knows dreams aren't really my preferred language.

birthday week: Jonah turns 11

In less than two weeks, Jonah will turn 11! I would barely be able to believe it if it weren't for the fact that he has been incredibly responsible and generally old recently.

As is the tradition around our house, the birthday child (or adult) gets to pick the dinners for the week. His list this year is looking particularly adolescent:

pork chops
steak
chicken pot pie
BLTs
tacos
pot roast
beef stew

In his own words, "I just want a lot of red meat. And some ice cream."