Ah! Nice and quiet in here now! First, I must say how wonderful it is to see old friends return! Tim, Bev, WW!!! Welcome back and please know that you have been missed. It is my sincere hope that you do not make long absences your habit!

The Princess woke up with a bad cold this morning, courtesy of my two grandsons that brought it along with them! *ugh*  My daughter and the rest just left a while ago and I am, once again, sitting quietly in the living room...alone. It is amazing what turbulence children bring with them and how much we miss it when they go... I do not believe I have ever seen two more stressed out cats! HA!!!   It was truly a wonderful Thanksgiving in spite of the dreadful illness that will soon be passed from the Princess to me. A very small price to pay for the joy of seeing my two, beautiful grandchildren smiling and laughing and asking me a million questions! That, my dear friends, is a joy that I do hope each of you can share someday. And now....silence. Just this computer and the TV. Serenity returns.

This holiday was a gentle reminder of what is really important to me. Family. The love of a daughter that had such a terrible father years ago. The cheer of two adorable grandsons that remind me SO much of me and my brothers. The warmth of an evening by the fire, laughing and remembering that no matter what has happened, there is always redemption. There is love. There is family.  

Yesterday, I celebrated something else that is so very important to me. My fourth year of sobriety. To have my daughter here for that milestone was extra special. For you see, she was the one that endured a childhood without a dad. She had to see things a child should never see. And yet, she loves me. We come together on this special day and we are father and daughter. Something we were not, all those years ago. I treasure this time of my life more than anything. Through clear, sober eyes, I see the woman that was once my daughter. I see the mother that was once my daughter. I see the wife that was once my daughter. And now, I can see the man that was not a dad, but has been redeemed, and I am proud. I am thankful.