As I look out the window of American Airlines flight 506 from Charlotte to Portland, Maine, I am overwhelmed with a combination of fatigue, sentimentality and gratitude. I know if I try to speak about it the tears will come, so I will write:

My wife, youngest daughter, Rose, and I are returning from a long weekend in Austin, Texas where we stayed with our oldest daughter, Jo. Our second daughter, Naomi, flew down from New York, so we were all together for the first time in almost a year. It also gave us more time to spend with Jo's fiancé, Sam ( and her new puppy, Mindy). Sam's a great guy. He treats my daughter like a princess; what more can the father of the bride ask for?

Our flights to Austin were not great. Both flights were late, and the last half hour was the worst turbulence I've ever experienced. We didn't land until 1:00 am Central time, but this inconvience was long forgotten by the time we woke up on Friday morning. After a quick stop at the grocery store Jo brought us across town to Sam's apartment, where Jo, under the expert direction of her mom, prepared a Thanksgiving feast. Like any good holiday in our family, the card games and board games came out early and were used often. I remember my father, when his five sons would get together as adults around the holidays, saying,"I just enjoy seeing you all have fun together". I now understand better the truth of that statement.

Jo's roommate Allie, and Sam's roommate, Joey, joined us for a terrific dinner. Even the weather complied by giving us true aThanksgiving chill in the air; an unusually cool 55 degrees in Austin. Once we all ate our fill and the dishes were washed, we headed outside to the firepit to enjoy a campfire and exchange Christmas gifts. It seems unlikely the two oldest will be able to come to Maine this year for either holiday, so we did them early. if we had fireworks, we probably would have done New Years as well!

But yesterday was the crown jewel of the visit. We spent the morning at David's Bridal as Jo tried on wedding gowns. I was a puddle of emotion the whole time and virtually unable to speak, knowing once I opened my mouth the tears would come. Fatherhood memories flooded my mind: dance recitals, school plays, visits to the emergency room, other Christmases... Also, I remembered her sister's broken heart when her engagement ended, and wondered about 17 year old Rose's future, as she is just months away from starting college. In the end, Jo picked out the perfect dress and veil. She will no doubt be the most beautiful bride since her mother, when we married 32 years ago. Or was it just yesterday?

We had a low key day after that, as we hung out at Jo's apartment and played more games (Naomi and Rose still have a strong competitive streak when the games start. It bothered me a bit until I remembered how things can still get when my bother, David, and I play ping pong.)

Then the day took one of those spontaneous turns that can only be chalked up to the Holy Spirit. The conversation turned to our parenting. To hear the older girls affirming how they were raised was a sweet, encouraging moment. I was able to acknowledge that we didn't always get it right, and ask forgiveness for those times. Jo- as usual, the spokesperson for the trio- spoke of the growth they've seen in Sue and me in the lifetime they've known us. Naomi nodded her head in consent, and Rose seemed to take it all in. What a sweet moment. Then, as quickly as it started, the conversation was over, and Jo asked that I begin to read our next book to her. We have a weekly Skype date when I will read a variety of novels to her like I have since she was little. So for Christmas she gave me our next read. It is a historical fiction based on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots entitled "the Wild Queen".

Our weekend came to its climax last night when we went to a 140 seat coffeehouse on the UT campus to see Noah Gundersen in an acoustic concert, accompanied by his sister, Abbie, on violin. Not a household name, Noah is a favorite of Jo's , Rose's and mine. This was Naomi's first time hearing him, and enjoyed his music, but apparently enjoyed his looks even more. Sue liked him better than most of the music the girls and I listen to. (If you do not know Noah's music, I describe him as a mixture of early Eric Andersen and classic Janis Ian. Contemporary folk with intensely introspective lyrics. He's worth checking out. Just ask Naomi!)

And now, after a three hour night sleep, Jo and Sam are in their home church service where Sam plays bass on the worship team. Naomi is on her flight to New York and the three of us are 30,000 feet in the air, somewhere between North Carolina and Maine. My heart is full and proud and nostalgic, and I know if I try to speak about it the tears will come. So I wrote it down instead.