Well, folks, my nieces have headed back home to Virginia and Arizona respectively, and we are finally back on schedule. It was a great time! We played board games like Scrabble, SkipBo, and Boggle. Mom and the niece even gave Upwords a shot, although this game is deceivingly challenging, despite its ease of play.
The most important part of their trip was to visit Mom and Dad, particularly Dad, who has deteriorated quite a bit. The highlight was the two nieces watching a movie with Dad. Dad loves movies, but has given up watching them mostly, because he cannot understand them anymore. He enjoyed hanging out with the nieces though.
Some folks have a hard time with situations like this. Admittedly, I had a tough time of it, initially. Over time, however, I realized this is how it works. Our loved ones, our friends, everyone gets old. When we get old, there are certain things that happen, particularly with the brain. It just doesn’t work as well as it did when we were younger. I made my peace with Dad’s passing. I hope he stays with us longer, but when its time for Dad to leave–it’s time for Dad to leave.
For those of you who still have your parents around; enjoy them. I consider it a privilege to have gotten back home and enjoyed Dad before his decline. We got in a lot of tv time, movie time, and some good discussions. I will cherish them forever. Now, all Mom and I can do is keep him comfortable, and be ready when the day that Dad leaves.
If you haven’t noticed this before, watch your pets. They teach you a great deal. Both of the dogs we lost both slept most of the day, when they were getting ready to pass. You could see their paws moving as they slept, and hear a muffled bark. In my religious path, this is God’s way of preparing them for their next life. They get to see what they will be doing, where they will live, and the whole thing. I picture Goldie and Weezer, running in parks, totally healthy, with their new families. God is doing the same thing for Dad. He is preparing Dad for his next home.
I hope each of you are having a great summer. It is hot and muggy here, but still nice with blue skies. We had a little rain while the nieces were here, but they had a great time going out to eat with Mom, walking along the St. Clair river, which runs right next to our town, and even got to a Van Gogh exhibit in Detroit. Mom has been wanting to go, but didn’t have anyone to go with. Her friends were busy, and with our current situation, one of us has to be here at all times. So, one of the nieces did some research and got tickets for them to go. Mom had a great time.
My wife, just finished her third bodybuilding competition. She placed 2nd in one category and 5th in another. She was very proud of herself, and she busted her butt to get ready. We were all very proud of her. In the three years she has spent competing she has added 20 pounds of muscle! Anyway, I wanted to brag about her a bit, because the work she does in the gym and her diet are very impressive.
Well, that’s it for now. We’ll be back on schedule tomorrow.
Until next time…
Dave
