Wonder Full

I've been trying for weeks to find a way to explain what I loved most about Dad.  Then, I watched Mr. Magoriums' Wonder Emporium. I didn't expect to cry all the way through a G-rated feel-good movie, and I certainly didn't expect for a movie to help me see Dad's life in a new way. But it did, and I'm glad. 

Let me explain. Mr. Magorium is the eccentric owner of a magical toy store. Despite appearing to be completely healthy, Mr. Magorium dies. Without its patriarch, the toy store is no longer the bright, sparkly, magical place it has always been. 

We are in a similar situation. Though Dad's way may have been unusual, we knew it by heart, and we loved it. He could make anything more fun. His smile was nearly ever-present (as so many of you have mentioned), but completely sincere. He was honestly that happy. He enjoyed life that much. Even his pictures and letters from Vietnam are full of fun and humor.  

Mr. Magorium instructs the store to face his departure with "determination, joy, and bravery." I think Dad would agree. 

The movie reminds us that all stories, even the ones we love the most, come to an end. And then, we are told to, "Turn the page. Continue reading. And let the next story begin." Certainly a voracious reader like Dad would want us to keep reading. Certainly someone so full of wonder would want us to seek the wonderful in the ordinary.  

Life without Dad seems dull right now, but we will find our sparkle again.