Party Dick and Dance Machine Jean

March 18, 2015

“Widow. The word consumes itself.“

Sylvia Plath

My dad, Dick, is coming home from Florida today with his girlfriend, Jean. They have been gone since February 12^th and I’m excited to see him return with his brand new tan and of course his stories that are similar to those of a college student on spring break.  He has been a widow for almost 3 years and since Jean has come along, he is starting to get back to his old, hilarious (yet still semi- cantankerous) self. Jean is also a widow and has been for about 15 years which gives my dad some reassurance that even though you are forced to grow old without the love of your life you don’t have to be alone.

Jean’s favorite past time is to dance so she scouts out dance clubs for her and my dad to go to. My dad is actually a fantastic dancer and thought his dancing shoes were hung up forever after my mother died. In fact, they met a few months ago while my dad went to an old hang out of his and my mom’s to sit, have a beer and reminisce about the old, happy times.  Jean came up and asked my dad to dance (several times) and since then, they have been pretty inseparable.  I really like Jean! I think one of the reasons is because she is the polar opposite of my mother. My mother was a very conservative, quiet, classy and strict to routine type of person while Jean is a free-spirited, chain smoking, speaks her mind without regret type of person. I, being the latter type, can appreciate these qualities in a woman very much! I also can see that my dad in no way is replacing my mom, but instead is seeking a friend to enjoy this life with.   

What’s even better is how my dad, Dick, went from becoming a hermit type that ate during the Early Bird Special and went to bed around 8:00, is now going to dinner at 7:00 and Dancing till the morning hours. I feel that if this happened about 10 years ago, my father and I would have ended up at the same after hours.  What can I say about these two? They have a new respect for life and youth and you can’t help but love those crazy kids!