Cancer sucks and knowing people who are surviving and knowing families who are struggling with quick downturns of health just makes me so very hyper-aware of the time I have with either of my parents but especially my dad.

I don't get many phone calls. I just don't know that many people who would call me so typically I pick up the phone dreading that's it's the Pioneer Press again calling with some sort of special deal.

Tonight I got a call from my dad. Now really I just spoke with both him and mom yesterday and typically I don't speak with them every day. And typically when either mom or dad calls it's mom who typically calls and hands the phone to dad. My dad doesn't talk all that much. He never really has. He's one of those dads who worked a lot and most days including Saturdays he left the house before 5 a.m. and didn't get home until 6:30 p.m.

When I was home a few weeks ago mom pulled out the tape of one of our family trips to Florida. We went on a few family trips and this one probably was when we were around 5 years old. Mom and Dad had this tape recorder and as a fun activity on the way home dad MC'd a radio program asking all of us kids what we liked best about our trip to Disney World and Bonita Beach where our "uncle jim" (dad's boss) had a condominium. It made me smile because of the way dad would ask each of us kids a question. And then at the end he joked around because well as my brother's can attest, I was kind of a microphone hog and didn't really give any of them a chance to answer.

Dad just called to say hi. He always asks the most random questions. Today was how was my spanish coming along. I had mentioned to him a long time ago of my wish to learn a bit of spanish so that I could communicate more effectively with people. I barely have a grasp of English somedays and Dad is fluent in German, Spanish and English and most often he speaks all three at the same time making you wonder what the heck he's saying but well...that's just him.

Typically when he asks how my german is coming along, I'll struggle to say something that probably translates to I can only speak a little ....or maybe I'm actually saying pass me the pickles...but at least I can try and answer.

Anyhow - the random call tonight was nice. I was worried that he wanted something. And maybe he did. Maybe he was just tired of talking to mom all day and decided to call. Maybe mom put him up to it to get his mind out of thinking about his doctor's appointment which is actually tomorrow not Tuesday. Maybe he just called...just because. I'm going to stop analyzing it now and just treasure the moment because someday the phone won't be ringing and I'll only have the memory of this day.