I thought of you today…

It was unexpected and surprising, not that it hasn’t happened before, but I thought of you today.

I was sitting in an auditorium surrounded by other proud parents listening to our collective children play their hearts out to impress us. Preston played his trumpet with such confidence, not just because he was sure of his talent but also because he was dressed for success with his shirt and tie. He loves the spotlight, along with one of his brothers, like someone else I can remember.

His time was done and the next group of eager young musicians took the stage. The teacher announced the piece, which left me trying to place it, figuring that I was too musically ignorant to really know what piece would be next. I don’t listen to classical music very much, it had to be something that I might recognize but never be able to place.

But then they began to play and it took my breath away. My eyes stung and I was paralyzed. I was alone, in my own world, remembering you playing this song when I was a child. Suddenly a video of you was playing in my mind and you were there in front of me. You were smiling and laughing, playing your guitar and singing, and I was in awe of you. So in love with you. It was as if you had reached out and touched me in that moment, to let me know that you were still there even though you’ve been gone for a long time.

I sat through the entire song in my world of memories surrounded by my family, friends and strangers and yet I was alone in my thoughts. I wished that you could meet them all, but most of all, that they could all have met you. I wished that my children would know the creative, artistic, talented man that you were. I wished that they would understand where I got my quirky sense of humor and my habit of making friends wherever we are, my sense of adventure and my love of all types of music. I wished that they could have heard you play, and  played along with you, singing along to “Summertime”.

They played “Summertime” and I thought of you, and I missed you.

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