I “Heard” the Love
<p><span word="When">When</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="growing">growing</span> <span word="up">up</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="recall">recall</span> <span word="hearing">hearing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="words">words</span> &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="I">I</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="father">father</span>. <span word="When">When</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="never">never</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="them">them</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="child">child</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="tougher">tougher</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="tougher">tougher</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="gets">gets</span> <span word="older">older</span>. <span word="To">To</span> <span word="tell">tell</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="truth">truth</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="honestly">honestly</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="those">those</span> <span word="words">words</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="him">him</span> <span word="either">either</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="decided">decided</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="set">set</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="ego">ego</span> <span word="aside">aside</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="move">move</span>. <span word="After">After</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="hesitation">hesitation</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="next">next</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="blurted">blurted</span> <span word="out">out</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="words">words</span>, &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="Dad">Dad</span>&<span word="hellip">hellip</span>; <span word="I">I</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="you">you</span>!</p><p><span word="There">There</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="silence">silence</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="end">end</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="awkwardly">awkwardly</span> <span word="replied">replied</span>, &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="Well">Well</span>, <span word="same">same</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="ya">ya</span>!</p><p><span word="I">I</span> <span word="chuckled">chuckled</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="said">said</span>, &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="Dad">Dad</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="ready">ready</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="say">say</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="say">say</span>.</p><p><span word="Fifteen">Fifteen</span> <span word="minutes">minutes</span> <span word="later">later</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="mother">mother</span> <span word="called">called</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="nervously">nervously</span> <span word="asked">asked</span>, &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="Paul">Paul</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="everything">everything</span> <span word="okay">okay</span>?</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="weeks">weeks</span> <span word="later">later</span>, <span word="Dad">Dad</span> <span word="concluded">concluded</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="phone">phone</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span> <span word="with">with</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="words">words</span>, &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="Paul">Paul</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="love">love</span> <span word="you">you</span>. <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="work">work</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="conversation">conversation</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tears">tears</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="rolling">rolling</span> <span word="down">down</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="cheeks">cheeks</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="finally">finally</span> &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="love">love</span>. <span word="As">As</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="both">both</span> <span word="sat">sat</span> <span word="there">there</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="tears">tears</span> <span word="we">we</span> <span word="realized">realized</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="moment">moment</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="taken">taken</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="father">father</span>/<span word="son">son</span> <span word="relationship">relationship</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="level">level</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="short">short</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="special">special</span> <span word="moment">moment</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="father">father</span> <span word="narrowly">narrowly</span> <span word="escaped">escaped</span> <span word="death">death</span> <span word="following">following</span> <span word="heart">heart</span> <span word="surgery">surgery</span>. <span word="Many">Many</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="since">since</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="pondered">pondered</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="thought">thought</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="step">step</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Dad">Dad</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="survive">survive</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="surgery">surgery</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="never">never</span> &<span word="ldquo">ldquo</span>;<span word="heard">heard</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="love">love</span>.</p>
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