At Last

‘At Last’ by the late Etta James was the song my dad walked me down the aisle to on my wedding day almost 4 years ago. I listen to it all the time to remember that day and now listening to it has a whole new meaning.

I feel my dad now when I hear it.

Yesterday morning while at work out of the blue it came on the radio. It was the first time I had heard it since the night before my dads surgery when it was on the playlist of his favorite songs I made him. He probably really didnt even like ole’ Etta but the song meant so much to our relationship I made him listen. He was glad its a short song I’m sure. I texted my sister to tell her it had been on and I was missing him, and not even 10 minutes letter I get a voice memo message from her with the letters ‘OMG.’

I walked in the breakroom and listened. It was At Last.

Two different states, two different stations since we were listening to internet radio and my sister her car radio on the way to work.

Less than 10 minutes apart.

Totally a dad thing.

I go about my day, which actually was a hard day for me since I was caring for a family with similar decisions to make like the hard ones our family just did 3 weeks ago. I really bonded with them, shared my story and how I felt while I was going through it all. I walked out of the room around 4:30 in the afternoon and the song is playing again.

I know a lot of people dont believe in that sort of stuff but seriously as if the incident with my sister earlier that morning wasnt enough this really made it so obvious that my dad was reaching out to me. How you do that when you are in a place as amazing as Heaven I will never know but I just know it was him. It wasnt coinsidence that just before the song played I was pouring my heart out to a family I had bonded with and just told about losing my own father. It wasnt a coincidence that I should have been a blubbering mess telling them all of the details I did and for some crazy reason I had an odd sense of calm over me that entire day. I longed for them to have an end-of-life experience like we did. I praised God that they hadnt lost their dad in a quick and tragic way and while the situations were so parallel it was eery, I was so deeply comforted in knowing my dad had his hand in the way I cared for that man in his last hours and the way I loved his family.

I know that as the days go on more and more things will speak to me or feel like a message or sign from my dad, and I am so looking forward to every single one.

A small clip of that precious moment I had with my precious dad.