PHONE CALLS

Few things make my heart flutter more than a phone call from one of our kids.  We have 4, a girl, a boy and then 2 more girls.  They cover a span of 7 years.  They are well along into leading their own lives.  The 2 oldest have blessed us with 5 heaven sent granddaughters while the 2 youngest are zeroing in on that part of their lives. 

As any parent can tell you, the flight from the nest is really a beginning.  Up to that point life has consisted of being in survival mode while preparing your kids for their lives.   In our case each of them took flight at varying stages of their lives.  All returned for spurts and eventually, well into our senior years, Terry and I had our first night alone in our house.

From that point on we observe from a distance, thankful for every family get together and fascinated by the growth of what were once our little guys wrapped in a pink or blue blanket.  The caring only intensifies. 

Thankfully they all live close by and we see them often.  But as they lead their own lives and deal with their own versions of survival mode, contact is not as frequent.  That’s why I treasure the phone calls.

There are phone calls and then there are phone calls.  I am thankful for all of them but I particularly treasure the calls that are made for no other reason than at that time they wanted talk to me about something in their life. 

Case in point:  One early morning recently I got a call from our son Forest.  I knew he and his family were In Cabo San Lucas for a short 4 day Easter week vacation.   He was calling from a fishing boat.  His wife Lina and their daughters Jordan and Kelly had balked at a pre-dawn departure but his life-long friend Dave, son of my life-long friend Richard (may he rest in peace), was with him.  It was 85 degrees and flat calm.  They had seen a few marlin.  Check with you later. 

Shortly after lunch Dave calls.  He is out of breath as he tells me they had just caught and released a 200 pound marlin.  He gives me a blow by blow and then thanks me for taking him fishing when he was a little kid.  I melt.  Then Forest gets on the line and excitedly details everything from strike to release.  In that moment, in my mind, it was he and I fishing together as we had countless times, a while back.  Later, he texted a picture of Dave fighting the fish.  My day was made.

I have also received calls from Forest as he is driving to or from an airport somewhere in the country, often in the middle of the night.  He tells me how things are going with his business, his wife Lina and daughters Jordan and Kelly.  We discuss many things and invariably end up talking USC football.  Quite often the conversation ends as he is sitting in a gas station or returning his rental car. 

A call from Erin proudly talking about her kids and their accomplishments is special.  I get to hear about band practice, a flirting boy or a mean teacher.  I love it.  Erin has had great success in her business career.  As she has progressed along the way she has called many times to see what I thought about a dilemma she had or a tough decision she had to make.  Facing the economy we have had the last few years she has been faced with decisions that dramatically affect people’s lives.  Hearing her thoughts and being included in the journey is priceless to me.    

Romy and I have spent countless hours discussing things.  I consider myself very lucky that she often shares the ride with me during a phone call.  I have called her so often her pet parrot Rico says “Hi Dad” when she answers the phone, before Romy has said “Hi Dad”.  We have talked about everything from a dog named Thatch she fell in love with but couldn’t keep, Rico attacking her, bands she loves and dealing with work related dilemma’s.  Perhaps the most special Romy call of all was recently when Kevinn proposed to her on bended knee, on the beach.  She called to tell us and it was several minutes before I could understand a word she said.  The inflection in her voice when she says “Hi Dad” or “Bye Dad” is heaven sent.

Molly and I have had some of my longest conversations.  Mostly because we are often dissecting a complicated business problem she is faced with.  Usually we start in the early evening and go to very late at night.  She is light years ahead of me when it comes to SAP, which is an accounting program she specializes in as an independent consultant.  I usually don’t have a clue what she is talking about but I feel there is value in the thought process that comes from explaining what the problem is to someone willing to listen.   We have literally talked right up to a midnight deadline for Molly to make a decision affecting many, many people and involving huge dollars.  I once talked with her for hours one night from a job I was on in Las Vegas about a career move she felt she had mistakenly made and wanted to correct.  She had to make a decision that night.

As the years have gone by and they become more enmeshed in their own lives, the calls have diminished, which only enhances my joy when hearing from them.  Each time, when I hang up, my day has gotten a little bit better.  Whether they have called for their benefit or mine I feel good.