I took the Wee Ladies out to a friend's place yesterday in the country where it is quiet with the exception of the chatty chickadees. The Wee Ladies stood around the bird feeders as the birds swooped and flew around our heads like acrobatic stunt planes. Their wings made the sound of buzzing propellers. It was so tranquil and peaceful and I think about those same moments I shared with my Dad.

We used to sit outside in the snow with sunflower seeds in our perched hands. He taught me how to be still. We would sit and wait a long time until the friendly chickadees would trust us enough to sit and take a meal from our hands or just whiz by and take a break on the top of our toques before setting off again for more dips and dives through the cedar trees.

This lesson goes far beyond feeding the birds. He taught me to how to be still at the right times so I would learn to appreciate what was around me. I learned how to stop and look around, listen and think clearly, thanks to him. This is something I try hard to instill in the Wee Ladies, especially EvieG. Patience is something I value highly in life and sometimes I feel like patience rules Hubby and I as we settle into our new life here and wait for projects and jobs to take shape.

I firmly believe everything happens for a reason as tough as some of those things may be.

As time marches on, I feel myself growing into him more as I hear him loud and clear in my own voice when talking to the Wee Ladies. I hear myself repeating things he told me, or sharing views that he shared with me. I am teaching the Wee Ladies in the same way he taught me. We go out and follow the deer tracks and talk about it as we go. We stop along the way and listen to the wind race through the branches in the woods. We talk about nature as we see it.

14 years may have passed but I still feel like his influence is just as strong as it was when he was here in real time. I will share things about him with the Wee Ladies so that they feel as if they have some connection with my father, their grandfather. I will tell them what he would think or even what he might say about a particular subject.

He was a strong force in our lives. He still is. And he continues to be an important force in the lives of the Wee Ladies.

All's I'm sayin's all.

PS February's Who's DDM is up! You can click here to go and check it out. Have a good weekend!