You can go home again...

IF anyone knows my DaD you know he is a very well respected man in the Syracuse NY world. Pretty much all aspects of it. From the average person in the street to the politians to family friends. But pretty much every person also knows he is an incredible clown. He is a jokester, a comedian on a level up there w/ Bill Cosby, George Carlin, Buddy Hacket, and yes even Richard Pryor. When my grandmother died he made a joke to my just widowed grandfather about people being happy she was gone.
"There are going to be a lot of happy people in this church today..."
My cousins, my brother and I were frozen w/ shock. How could he say that!?!
"Huh?" was what GranPa Lock said.
"Yeah, they won't have to pay back all those loans!"
GranPa Lock let out a good old fashion laugh that I hadn't heard from him in a long time.
That's my DaD. He has a gift. Plain and simple.
All that being said he is not that good of a communicator when it comes to his feelings. My father is more of a mater of expressing his feelings non verbally. When I was a child he would give a wink when I was doing what I was suppose to do. A wink and a grin when I was giving a presentation and doing well. He didn't clap...he never applauded. A grin and a wink and I knew I did a great job. No words, but I knew all that I needed to know.
When I told him I was coming home he didn't say anything like "glad to hear it". What I did get was his classic joke of: "fish, family, friends should only stay in your house 3 days. After that they start to go bad."
But this time, I don't know, his jokes felt different. Almost as if he meant it this time. I just could have been reading too much into it, I don't know.
When I saw my MoM waiting for me near baggage claim she of course greeted me w/ a HUGE smile. That's why you love moms, they wear their love on their sleeves. As we picked up my luggage and walked to the car I was a little apprehensive about seeing DaD. Weird I know. I opened the passenger side front door and looked over at him and he smirked as he said "So...when do you leave?" and started to laugh.
I was home...and everything was going to be all right.