#slice 2013: 1 of 31

For the month of March, I am joining up with many bloggers and committing to daily writing by participating in #Slice 2013 for the first time. The Tuesday Slice of Life is hosted by Two Writing Teachers, Stacey and Ruth and during March, they host a daily writing challenge. Because so much of my writing throughout the year in professionally oriented, I am going to try to write more creatively during the challenge. I have several stories that I have been nurturing in my imagination so this month, I will be working them out of my head.




My dad loves to go for rides with me and he has many opportunities to come along since I have four busy, over-scheduled daughters and we have an unusual living situation where we have combined households with my parents.

He doesn't pay attention to much but he does listen for when anyone is going for a ride.

"You going some place?" he asks. "Would you like company?"

As the "company", he hardly ever talks when he is in the car and I don't know why he enjoys the rides so much. He sits in the passenger seat with his legs crossed. He folds his hands unless we are going around a corner. At corners, he holds onto the bar, sometimes even with two hands. Sometimes, I tease him about that, but only gently.

"Am I worrying you?" I ask.

He smiles and lets go with one hand. "Nope," he says. "Just holding on."

He hasn't driven for several years now. Sometimes, he offers to drive, but mostly, just gets into the passenger seat--business, as usual. He does like to help, though. When he does talk on our drives, it's to tell me that I'm clear to the right.

"All clear this way," he says.

I always check. He is accurate in his reporting.

Isn't it funny that I miss him the most when we are driving and he is sitting in the passenger seat next to me?