Somewhere between my fifth and sixth birthday in
“Mom, what did you ever see in Dad?”
“What do you mean, what did I see in Dad?”
“Why did you marry Dad?”
“I had a lot of reasons.”
“Like what?”
“Well, I had a List.”
“A List?”
“Yes, I had a List of what I wanted in a husband…a father, a friend.”
“Like a grocery List?”
“Yes, well, kind of….”
I chuckled at my first grade humor, “…no tomatoes, right?”
“No. No tomatoes.”
“Well….what was on the List?”
“Lots of things.”
“Like what?”
“I wanted someone who was handsome, musical….”
“Is Dad handsome?”
“Yes. Very.”
“Was it a long list?”
“Somewhat.”
“How long.”
“Long enough.”
“What did you do about it?”
“About the List?”
“Yeah, do you still have it?”
“No. No I don’t have it anymore. I shouldn’t say that. I still kind of have it.” She pointed towards her head.
“Did you check stuff off? You know, like you do when you put the tomatoes in the grocery basket.”
“You mean when I saw your father?”
“Yeah.”
“Sort of.”
“So what’d you do about it....the List?”
“Well, I asked God to give me what was on the List?”
“You did?”
“Yes.
“Did he answer you?”
“Are you talking about Dad or God now?”
“God. You mean God answers people?”
“Of course.”
"Like wow. Was it in a hugely loud voice?"
"No. It was more of a whisper. As a matter of fact, it wasn't even that loud."
“Did you read the List to God?”
“Yes. I went to Mass several times a week and asked God to give me what was on the List. If it was His will.”
“He really answered, huh?”
“Yes. The Lord always answers. Not always the way we’d like, but He answered.”
“And did you get everything on the List you wanted? Did God give you everything on the List?”
She smiled, a very particular and peculiar smile. One that I have never seen before or since. She said simply, “….and a lot more….”
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