A visit from my dad

My dad lives in Arizona and most years only makes it back home to his family 1-2 times at the max. This year has been quite different. Last week he made his 3rd trip this year and has one still coming at Christmas time! I don't know what to do with myself with so much daddy time. LOL We were able to enjoy lots of time together unlike his last visit when *G* was born and I was at the hospital with her his whole trip. So we had a great time which I felt was one of his best trips here in a long time. As far as time with me and my family! We had some great family dinners and long talks after the children were in bed....I even got to make him a homemade lasagna which he loved! He was able to take a walk in the kids school and see them which was so fun for the kids and finally we had to say good bye! Even though I know he will be back in just a few weeks I can't help myself from feeling so sad and empty and mourn his departure. As much as he tries to say no matter how many miles we have between us we always have the phone and when we see each other it is like I was never gone. Which the phone calls are true even though once life gets busy days become weeks and weeks become months and it is so easy to let many significant times in your life go unshared when you are separated. As I get older and my life gets more full each visit becomes harder and harder because I condition myself to let go of that need for a father I have been great in my life to accept the absence of a parent and can get quite independent as far as that goes. So when he pops into town I get very confused. who is this person here all loving and missing me?!?! That is my dad that I have spent the last few months adapting to NOT having. Sure I can pick up the phone and cry, laugh,share, ask for advice but that will never match a hug,kiss,a REAL shoulder to cry on or a friendly loving face when all you need to know is no matter how grown you are you will still be his little girl! Maybe these are things every adult must go through with their parents I am not quite sure because this is what I did with my mom all growing up adapting and accepting I didn't have all those things , but now I do with my mom and now I am trying to adapt to not having my dad and missing him. It can get quite confusing and all I can do is pray one day before it gets harder and harder to condition myself to turn my emotions off and on for his visits that he returns home where he belongs!