Mind Flowing Free on Father’s Day

 

I’m letting my thoughts flow freely this Father’s Day because I tend to drift into melancholy when thinking about my dad. He was a jazz keyboard player. He took me on tour with him as soon as he thought I was ready, even though I was just a young girl. He let me sing with his band starting at age 10. He’s been gone a while now, a victim of a random pulmonary event. Yes, I miss him.

He knew me. He thought my bisexuality was “convenient” because it gave me more choices. He liked and respected my girlfriends and boyfriends alike. He took great care of my mother and made sure she would never want for anything if he checked out early, which he did. A member of his band said of his early death, “He’s lucky … no growing old, no assisted living, no nursing home, no hospice. He did it right.” I suppose he did. In a way. But then, I miss him and would have gladly helped him live a much longer life. That was not to be.