In the movie “Walk the Line”, the story of Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash, there is a line that struck my heart, a line so simple, so subtle. The line come’s when the star playing Johnny Cash wakes up after weeks of self rehab, with the help of the entire Carter family and looks at Reese Witherspoon, the actress playing June Carter. She very loving looks him in the eye and says “It’s good to see you again.” Over the past two years I looked and listen to so many things so differently. Your heart changes, your thought pattern changes and your emotions, oh, those emotions that never seem to stop changing. You have tears on back order because of the many you have shed for the simplest of things, things you would never given a second thought before, before the fact of never hearing “It’s good to see you again.”

I remember in my childhood walking into my grandparents house, giving them a big hug and hearing, “Its good to see you again.” I never paid very much attention to these words way back then. I am not going to quote myself but I may have thought something to the effect “What’s the big deal I saw you a few days ago and I will see you again this weekend.” Before I knew it, in a few days or next weekend, never happened again. They were gone, never to hug or question their odd little sayings again. I have heard those words my whole life, and never thought twice about them. From a young age, even into the early years of adulthood, there are words and sayings that never meant much until you are faced with the reality of life and all the ups and downs it brings. The loss and the heartache that life brings are mixed in with the joy and happiness that fill in the holes. My only hope is that each of you fill every hole you can with a smile, a helping hand, a hug, and a odd little saying, “It’s good to see you again.”

The day I breathe my last here on this earth, and I see my life slowly pass through the portholes of my weakened mind, I will be looking forward to seeing my grandparents, other loved ones lost and the steely stare of a beautiful seventeen year old, with her hair once again flowing with the heavenly breeze. This young girl, this young woman we had the privilege of calling our daughter say the words, “It’s good to see you again, dad.”