This One's For My Dad

My dad couldn't make it to Boy#3's concert Tuesday night. He had a commitment at home, and at age 86, it was probably just as well that he didn't try to drive three hours through Winter Storm Q to see his grandson in Three's final concert of student teaching.

I thought about Dad often during the evening, though. I remembered how Three began begging for trombone lessons after watching his grandfather play that enigmatic, shiny, difficult instrument. Somewhere I have a picture of the two of them sitting side by side, playing duets when Boy#3 was in fourth grade or so.

I thought of how Dad loves Sousa marches and how he organizes the annual homecoming band that sits on a flatbed truck and plays these marches during the Memorial Day parade.

And even though Three says Sousa marches aren't really difficult to conduct, I knew my father would have loved to see him conducting the Washington Post March and was sorry to miss this.

So this is for you, Dad. Enjoy.