Dazzle

There seems to be a long journey ahead. The one without Dad, I mean. I notice things that I didn’t notice before, wonder at things that didn’t matter to me three months ago. At the end of the thoughts I wonder if it will ever amount to anything or if they’re just there for me to notice.

I really like movies and books that tell good stories (if you haven’t figured that out already). One of my favorites is The Lion King. The scene with Simba and Mufasa at the end is crazy good, especially if you view Mufasa as God in the story. He sacrifices himself for his son. He dies. He returns (even if it is in a big Mufasa cloud). He tells his child to remember who he is and that he, the father, lives in the son. He even sent his counselor and guide (ie, Holy Spirit), Rafiki. Yes, I just said that the Holy Spirit is a baboon.

My Grandpa gives us all nicknames. I’m not sure why but we all seem to like it well enough. And I bear the only nickname that is also a bodily function. That’s all I’m sayin’.

My Dad’s nickname was Dazzle. Again, I’m not sure why, but I’m not sure I ever heard Grandpa call him anything but that. (Grandpa’s nickname is Soup, by the way).

About a week after Dad died I passed a landscaping shop on my way home. It’s on the left side of the road heading into La Vergne and I pass it more than a dozen times a week. They’ve always got a sign out front advertising some new product or telling how I can kill all of the mutated man-eating mosquitoes in my back yard with a special spray.

But on that day this was the sign:

I’ve heard all of the arguments against the existence of God. And honestly I don’t think all of the “I can prove God exists” arguments help much, either. I personally don’t need proof from rocks, dinosaurs, trees, or even children. They help, but they’re not imperative. It’s these things I can’t explain and don’t want to explain. They happen often and they happen kindly and I think that maybe we’re missing a the whole message when we seek to explain it.

Dazzle IS here.