My
father and I had a running joke from since I was the age of
15. One day he had a terrible headache. Being the brat I was,
I refused to turn down my radio after his repeated requests.
So he entered my room, dropped the radio to the floor and stomped
on it until it was toast! After that, the running joke was -
If you don't behave, I'll stomp on your radio!
On January 3, 2004, my father slumped over on the couch. He
was diagnosed with encephalitis and fought the disease until
January 27, 2004 when he died. Inside, I was panicked; I had
no idea how to cope without him. I started having chest pains,
panic attacks and insomnia. My father did not believe in life
after death, so when he died it brought that whole concept to
the forefront.
My father had bought a beautiful new Dodge Ram pickup truck
in 2001. He loved that truck! My mother did not want to give
it up so she gave it to me. I set about changing the radio stations
to the ones I liked. I changed all the buttons but number 4,
since that one was set to NPR, my father's favorite station.
I left it there as a tribute to him.
In March,
almost two months after Dad's passing, I was listening to
channel 1 on the radio. After a few minutes, I noticed that
there was no music, just talking. I looked down at the radio
and it was on channel 4 - NPR. I didn't remember hitting the
button, but I changed it back. Then a while later it happened
again. And it happened again the next day.
My fiancé,
Ric, and I took the truck out soon after, and this time, being
the passenger, I had more time to focus my attention on the
radio. I sat there and watched the radio change channels:
as I pushed 1, it would change to 4. Ric said, and I quote,
"Bob! We aren't going to hurt your pretty truck."
It was
like I had been plugged into a light socket. Electrical charges
coursed through my body, and I felt the warmest electricity
on my face, like two hands holding it. I knew what it was
and who it was. I said, "Dad, if this means you're OK,
then we will be OK, too." When I was done, I put the
radio on 1 and said, "So, if this is really you, change
it one more time and never again." After what seemed
like forever, it changed to 4. I repeated what I said about
never changing it again. I put it back on 1 and to this day
it has never changed again.
Patty
Erickson
Please respond to: John
Posted
Feb. 4, 2010
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