But one memory is special in so many ways. For my Daddy.
So the bucket list trip started like this...we have a musician friend who plays locally and we love this man. Kindest soul you'd want to know. He played in Key West this past week and we decided to go see him. The bucket list was to go into Miami and drive to Key West (in a Mustang convertible no less) and then a couple of nights in South Beach. I had never been to either spot. Hearing our dear friend play Margaritaville in Key West was frosting on the cake.
Booked it :) Thank you AARP for having such amazing travel deals! I can scope and book an inexpensive great trip like a pro if I do say so myself!
The hubs told me he had a fun thing planned that he was booking for our drive back to Miami Beach. A little boat ride.
To give some background on why this boat ride was special, you need to know about my special "things" with my Daddy. I've written about some of the things. But we had our own "things" as most Daddies and daughters do.
We loved Blackhawks hockey. We loved beer (though he did not approve of "that light crap" I drank at one time.) We loved photography. We loved genealogy. We loved tomatoes.
And we LOOOOOOVED Humphrey Bogart movies.
His faves were Maltese Falcon and the African Queen. Mine is still Casablanca and Key Largo. He and I used to sit on Sunday afternoons when WGN would play the classics and watch Bogie over and over again. We talked details about which parts in which films we loved best and why. We both agreed Katharine Hepburn was amazing and that Ingrid Bergman was the most beautiful actress ever.
So it was special beyond my wildest dreams that the "little boat ride" the hubs arranged for us was on the African Queen (THE ORIGINAL!!! FROM THE MOVIE!!!) in none other than Key Largo.
Our last night in Key West we spent listening to our pal play and we drank blue margaritas and talked about the memories we had made in visiting Hemingway's house, the butterfly sanctuary, feeding the tarpon, lunches on the water. We talked about the memory we would have in tomorrow's ride on the African Queen.
And then it hit me.
Our ride was to be on December 13th. The day 9 years ago my Daddy moved to Heaven.
In our house we do not mourn our loved ones who have moved to Heaven. We take those dates and celebrate and honor them. If you've read this blog from the beginning you know a bit about that as I have written earlier about it. We watch their favorite movies, have their favorite meals, their favorite drinks. Talk about the wonderful times with them and laugh about those fun things.
So this. This "little boat ride." How more amazing could it be that it was on this particular day? The hubs and I both sat slack-jawed in realizing the serendipity in front of us.
It was joyous. It was bright and sunny. I found myself caught between tearing up and giddy during the ride. The captain was so wonderful, told history, told stories of things that happened on the set of the movie. Had us blow the whistle and steer/drive the boat. The hubs was giddy steering the boat himself, like a 5 year old on Christmas morning.
The captain had an old Gordon's gin bottle filled with water that I poured into the sea just like Rosie/Hepburn had done in getting rid of Charlie's/Bogie's gin in disapproval. The hubs took my picture.
I know Daddy loved that one. Gin was his favorite :)
I could feel him beside me as giddy as I was. I could feel his smile. I could feel his spirit elated at being able to be with me to share this amazing event. I could see him standing next to the hubs steering the boat. I could hear him laughing as I poured water out of that gin bottle for a photo op. I could see him pulling on the cord sounding that whistle as we rounded a corner of a Key Largo canal.
And it was all the more special that it occurred on this day. I made sure that ever minute of the ride, I honored those memories. The ones in front of the TV watching old black and white Bogie movies. And it made my heart full. Made my smile wide. Made me wonder...
Did you help make it happen on THIS day for a reason Daddy?
Here's looking at you kid (yeah I know, wrong movie...) and honoring you in a way that could not be more special, more fitting, more heartfelt.
And give that guy who stole me from you (kind of, not entirely) some credit too. He arranged this gig :)
All my love Daddy, this was OUR Heaven,
Salgal
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