Each August, the teeny, tiny town next to us has an annual Tractor Pull and Parade. It's been our tradition for a few years to go to the parade. The kids love it because the folks who ride on the tractors throw candy! Each year the kids come prepared with their grocery bags ready to fill with yummy treats. Side note - I learned this year we tend to hang around the end of the parade route and in the future interest of my children's candy gleaning endeavors we need to move further up the parade route. My Daddy interest in the event - he loves looking at the tractors. The morning is a win win, the fact that both pig skins and snow cones are sold is a bonus.
Our morning started off without a hitch; mama dropped Daddy off at my house and we headed off on our journey. On the way to the parade we made a detour to McDonalds for breakfast. We were set to arrive in plenty of time, but had to make a bathroom pit stop at a local gas station. Still we made it to our usual parade viewing area in plenty of time. Since there was time to spare we crossed the street to buy those tasty pig skins. Then we waited for a few minutes until the parade started.
I love parades, though I'm not normally an overly emotional person, a parade will make me well up and I become so overcome with emotion I usually shed a few tears. Flags, veterens, the shriner's mini cars, high school marching bands anything- it's almost like I feel a sense of pride on behalf of whomever, that their loved one is in a parade. The roar of the fire truck signaling the start gets me everytime. Since Daddy's been diagnosed with FTD and noises drive him crazy, I'm always on alert when the parade is about to begin. Thankfully, every parade he's attended, he's been fine. Maybe it's because he still understands the purpose of the noise - don't know the reason he can tolerate such a loud noise then later need to put in his earbuds because a conversation next to him has gotten out of hand.
After the fire engine has passed the first tractor rolls past with the Grand Marshall! The parade has officially begun.
Now the real fun begins: Tractor... candy... International tractor... candy.... Ford tractor... candy... Farmall tractor... candy... Allic-Chalmers tractor... more candy.... and Daddy's favorite, John Deere.
The parade doesn't last long, but everytime Daddy sees that color green he gets our attention, "Hey, look at that John Deere!" or "That's a goodlooking John Deere." I love how excited Daddy gets about things and how it's such a joy for him to share this experience with my kids. FTD has robbed us of many things, but it hasn't yet taken the core of who my Daddy is.
On the following Sunday, I was in church and wouldn't you know, but the pastor was talking about parades. He was using parades as an illustration of how time is linear so that it's hard from our perspective to see the whole picture because the vantage point we have. So I told him I was stealing this for my blog as I was about to make a post on a parade.
While we were sitting on the side of the road watching the tractors pass by we could only see what was before us, a few tractors that had already passed and a few that were coming our way. Our field of view is quite limited. That's how it is with life. I can remember how my Daddy was, I can see how he is now and I can see how he's progressing with his disease. Though it's hard to really remember how he truly was and it's difficult to remember how life was a few years ago. I've read so much on FTD and I anticipate what lies ahead, but I don't know exactly how the diease will effect Daddy nor do I know how the progression will effect our family. So we have right now, this time, this bit of parade, this John Deere and boy it sure is a goodlooking John Deere!
My kids with Daddy, their Papa & snowcones
