Juxtaposed... We Were we were

He was sitting up in his chair, same chair he had been sitting in for years and years. Maybe decades, maybe he had been sitting in that same chair for decades. Focus on him, not the chair was the thought. The old man looked crumpled and week, drugged and helpless. His head was heavy causing his neck to bend forward, trying with all its mite to hold it up. Without lifting his head, rather just swiveling up he got eye contact with me, the person in the chair across from him. My dad, who once was macho dude with swagger and strut. A man’s man. Now he is hanging on by a thread sitting in his chair, his friend like a loyal dog. His head bent upward as far as it could. He began to smile and he raised both forearms horizontal with the floor about 30 inches apart and his for fingers were pointing outward with thumbs pressing the other 3 fingers inward. His eyes captured mine as if in a hold like that of a wrestler pinning his opponent. “For two people so diametrically opposed”, he began paused with a comma, his arms slammed both fingers together, meeting at the middle of his chest, “we are so juxtaposed. I love you very much son and am so proud that you are my eldest son”. I was feeling the same way. Throughout our history, we fought many times. Our political views were opposite and just about anything you could think of were polar opposite to what the other believed in, except God of course. We both love God, but neither one of us are saintly that’s for sure. It’s kind of funny that about the same time each morning I think about him and wonder if he approves of how I am living. I usually say something out loud to him when I am alone in the vehicle. He did not leave this world willingly in my opinion. I have thought about that a lot and for awhile was comparing my uncle’s calm, peaceful resignation when the Lord pulled him out of our reality and I will say more about that later.