An Unexpected Visit

I was on my way to work today and put in Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" cd.

It has the "Wheel of the World" on it, the song I used for the Christmas video.
It also has the song that I used for Levi's video, "So Small."

I was thinking about Levi and how good he has done since the surgery. And I remembered how much I liked the line that says:
"When you figure out love is all that matters after all,
It sure makes everything else seem so small."
And then I thought of how true it is.
And how for the most part, I get it. And how our family "gets it" and what a great thing that is to show to the next generation, who will hopefully see us model it.
I listened to another song and then saw that the Wheel song was the last track and I felt like hearing it, so I skipped ahead.
Now, I'll tell you.
You know a song is good, when after hearing it thousands of times, broken down to second by second increments, you still like it. And I still like this song. I listened to it and as I did, I could see pictures of you all flash before me. I chuckled as I went around one of the many round-a-bouts I drive through and at the same moment she was singing about "turning around and around."
I got to work and was at the light waiting to turn left into the parking lot and the song was ending. I thought, this is where the song "Taps" starts in the video. But this was the real cd, not the video and not wanting to hear the next track, I hit the eject button and the radio came on.
That is when I took my eyes off the light and stared at the radio with bewilderment.
The radio was a little staticy and seemed to be between two stations, but there was no mistaking it.
The song the radio was playing was "Taps."

I was at first, confused, but as I made my turn and parked the car I realized that it was one of those moments that are so surreal you will wonder later if it really happened. And as I sat listening to a somewhat peppier version of the "24 notes that tap deep emotions," my eyes filled with tears and I said out loud:
"well, hello, Dad."
No sooner had I said that, when the song went into sometime of march song with the singer singing in Spanish. I went from tears to laughing out loud as I remembered how we would laugh at Dad because he would sit watching the Spanish channel for hours (mostly for the dancing girls) and how Mike even got in trouble for taking it off the channel scan when he reprogrammed the VCR.
I was sure by this time that this was really happening and I could see his mischievous smile and I thought of the questions he always asked when I was leaving.
"You doing okay?" "Do you need anything?" and "Do you need some money?"
I gave him my standard answers out loud.
And then I remembered that look sly proud smile that mom would get when she was successful at surprising you. And I thought, they are together again and smiling at me.

By this time, I was a mess and late for work even tho I was just outside in the parking lot.
The last thing that came to mind was the image of the day that mom and dad dropped me off at Ball State for the first time. When it came time to say goodbye, Mom got in the car and barely said goodbye. I suppose, I understand now, that she didn't want to draw it out and lose it in front of me, because I probably would have lost my nerve and ended up wanting to get back into the car and go back home with them. Dad stood outside the car and the man of few words gave me the assurance that I needed that day and have held onto for a lifetime. He raised his hand, waved and said "You'll be alright."

And I swear, as I sat in that parking lot laughing and crying at the same time, I heard him say those words once again as clear as if he were sitting next to me.
It was an unexpected visit on a regular Tuesday.
But a good and needed one.

Directions to here:
"Love goes out, out like a light. Out like a flame and you cant find it anymore.
Just when you think its lost in the rain, it comes back knockin' at your door."