i love my parents.

At the moment, I am failing to recall a time when I felt as loved as I did on Tuesday. I know there have been other times when I have felt the power of love, but at the moment, Tuesday is outshining them all.

I haven't been home since early January, when I returned to St. Louis a week early so that I could work. I'm going on a mission trip to New Orleans for Spring Break, so the earliest I will be back in good ol' Chicago is Easter, which falls really late this year. My dad keeps asking me when I'm coming home and I have to keep saying, "Dad, I don't know-w-w-w-w." I was fortunate that my mom could come down to see me a few weeks ago when I was in the Vagina Monologues, but it's been a long time to go without seeing my dad.

So anyway, this Tuesday was Fat Tuesday, the day to savor the taste of luxury before the 40-day season of Lent begins. I don't know how many of you know what pączkis are, but you must try them before you die. They are a Polish/Eastern European (my family hails from Poland so I always just say they are Polish, but that may very well be inaccurate) pastry, sort of like a Bismarck. Well, the only day of the year that we ever eat pączkis is on Fat Tuesday. My dad always rises to get them at four in the morning because they sell out in about a minute. Ohhhhh they are so delicious.

Last year was my first year without this delectable treat. My dad looked into having them sent to me, but the bakery near SLU was too far and delivery charges were up the wazoo. Sad day.

This was to be my second year without pączkis. I called my mom when I got out of my first class and asked her if she had had any yet. She said she was waiting until later in the day because she didn't want to eat too many and she was afraid that if she ate one she wouldn't be able to stop eating them. She asked me what my schedule was for the day, commenting "Oh, you're going from one place right to another." She is never that attentive to what my daily plans are but I didn't take much note of it.

Later that day, my dad called me when I was in the middle of my math class. He never calls me. My parents tend to let me call them when I am free so that they aren't bothering me when I am in the middle of something. I ignored his call because I was in class, and immediately afterward he called me again. Is something wrong? I worried. I worried the rest of class. Ahhh why is he calling me!?!?

I called him right after I got out of class. Dad! What's wrong? Is everything okay? He said of course, he just wanted to wish me a happy Pączki Day. Great. All that panic for nothing. But of course these phone calls are always cute. I got a similar one when it was my name's day, and had a similar panic attack.

My dad asked me where I was going and I said I was going back to my apartment. I was supposed to go to an art exhibit in the library in an hour and a half, but it was cold and rainy and I was leaning toward skipping it. How long is your walk? he asked. Hmm... my parents are strangely interested in the details today. About seven minutes. We talked for a few minutes and he asked where I was. By the clock tower. He made it clear that he was going to talk to me until I got to my apartment, which I didn't really take note of because when I used to walk to and from the Metro late at night after work, he would always talk to me until I got back to my dorm safely. The only strange thing was that this was during the day, and I was walking openly through campus.

I finally got to my apartment and my dad and I hung up. He said he'd eat a pączki for me. Those words are always so comforting. I go into my room and start getting into sweats, ready to snuggle up in my bed until I had to go to work. All the sudden there is a banging on the door. Hmmm... either my roommates invited someone over and aren't answering or Erica knows I'm in here and really wants to visit. I reluctantly got up and walked to the door. I peaked out the peep-hole but I couldn't tell who was there. I opened the door, and there are MY PARENTS, STANDING WITH BOXES AND BOXES OF Pączkis!

They drove five hours just to surprise me because they knew they wouldn't be seeing me until Easter. I was in shock (pictures to come) and couldn't wrap my head around it for some time. So sweet. So loving. I just felt how much they loved me right there. They drove five hours without knowing if they were even going to be able to spend time with me. I still can't believe how much love I felt through that action. My dad apparently planned this five months ago. So cute, haha. So cute.

I was able to cancel my meetings and someone volunteered to work my shift at the front desk, so I was able to go out to a Fat Tuesday dinner with them, and then Ash Wednesday mass and lunch with them the next day. Mmmmm did those pączkis taste good!