Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Happy Birthday, Dad!

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1939, 82, Birthday, Blessed, Dad, Dementia, Grateful, Thankful

Photo: Dad and I at one of his physical therapy sessions.

Today is my Dad’s birthday. He is 82 years old. My dad was born in 1939, the beginning of WWII in Europe. Dad has dementia. He has his good days where he is somewhat lucid, while other days he’s in a fog.

As I mentioned in earlier posts, I retired early to come home to help out as Dad deteriorates. Dementia has a nickname. It’s nickname is the “long goodbye”. This is definitely an accurate nickname. When I came home in 2016, Dad was functioning pretty well. Now, he doesn’t know how to turn on the television. From the outside, you would think this was a sad state of affairs, but it really isn’t. Dad has lived a good life. He has two sons and a daughter, built up a good retirement to make sure Mom was taken care of after he left, and he isn’t suffering.

We have some friends coming over today to celebrate his birthday, and we’ll be sending out for food from Cracker Barrel. Dad loves their chocolate coca cola cake, so that’s on the order as well. It’ll be a good day, today.

I love you, Dad! Have a great birthday today.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – Thank you Followers!

Tags

Blessed, Blogging, Freedom, Grateful, Happy, Readers, Thankful

Today, I’m grateful for you, my readers. I think about the beginnings of my blog, and how it has evolved to its present state. It’s been quite a journey. I think the best part of blogging is the freedom to write what I wish. Yeah, I try to keep categories for each day of the week, but there’s still a lot of freedom to write about the things I care about.

I really appreciate those of you who took the time to respond to my posts. I hope this continues, because it is nice to interact with people all over the world. Each day I check my stats, I’m amazed by the geographical spread of people who visit my blog. I thank each of you for stopping by when you can.

Well, that’s all I have for today, folks! I hope you and your families are doing OK in your particular part of the world.

Until next time…

Dave

Daily Ramblings – Thankful Thursday – My Folks

Tags

Blessed, Dad, Glad, Grateful, Gratitude, Happy, Mom, Thankful, Thanks

Today, I wanted to express my gratitude for the decisions I made leading up to this moment. Had I not made the decisions I did, I would not have been in a position to retire early so I could return home and help out my parents.

It is nice to be home with Mom and Dad during their senior years. My Dad is 80. My Mom will be 76 on September 10th. All of us do our own thing at home. My Mom likes to sit on our deck and enjoy nature while she reads or plays Facebook games. My Dad has always been a reader and enjoys his books or a nap in his rocker. I enjoy my writing, reading, and learning while Dad sits in his chair. I typically spend most of my morning and early afternoon in the living room with Dad, while he reads or naps.

Mom likes to get out and about to run errands, while I sit with Dad. This arrangement works out pretty good. Daily, we have dinner as a family. Dad likes to watch his news while we eat and Mom likes to hear the weather report. When people come over to hang out with the family, we all gravitate to the deck. Many people comment how relaxing our home is. How calm it is. It truly is a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle present in most people’s lives.

I am grateful for this. How many people are in a position to be with their parents in their senior years? How many people get to know their parents as peers? I am truly blessed.

Today, take some time to make a call or write a letter to your folks. If your folks have passed, write them a letter. They will get it. If you are connected with your parents on Facebook, see if you can connect on Facebook messenger and have a quick video call. You’ll be glad you did.

Thanks Mom and Dad for having me, raising me, and teaching me. Thanks for all of the sacrifices you made to make my life better than yours was. Thanks for always being there. Thanks for the birthday cards, birthday presents, and Christmas presents when I was serving abroad. Thanks for the calls on my birthday. I love you both.

Have a great Thursday, everyone.

Until next time…

Dave