Rain, rain
If the rain would give way to some sun I think I would feel much better about so much. I haven't seen my dad in 3 days. I have thought about him lots and have prayed for him.
We had him to our house for dinner last week on Father's Day. We had his favorite dinner, Lobsters. When I was a kid he would order 5 for himself. He would eat 5, by himself. He loved and still does love lobsters. We also invited my wife Sandra's parents. My kids were there and it was a very special time.
My father made a comment about a month ago which I have thought of often, recently. My father grew up in the depression. He was born in 1928. His parents owned a farm that I can see just through the window from where I am now writing. They didn't have much cash. My father was a teenager during the great depression. My grandfather used to work on the town roads to pay his property taxes which was customary for many locals.
Growing up I always had the impression that my father resented people who had more education than he had. He was especially leery of people who had gone to college. He had completed 7th grade. He recently told me that at this point his mother told him he didn't need to go to school any longer and that it wouldn't do him any good. My father is a smart man. He is intellectually challenging and had always had keen instinct.
As my oldest son Nathaniel completed his freshman year at Clark University recently, my father has taken more interest than I would have thought. He has been interested in driving to Worcester to see the campus. A few weeks ago after more than one person told my father how smart he is he told me that he thought he might be able to go to college himself. I was very surprised. I was also disappointed for him. He is 80 with dementia. I didn't know how to reply.
After all of those years of resenting people with higher education he now considers it desirable.
I took my dad out to dinner tonight to the York Hospital Cafeteria. He had a cheeseburger, large piece of chocolate cake and a cup of ice cream. After we took a walk around York Village. It was beautiful in the mist. The bells at the First Parish Church clanged out a song that I didn't recognize but would bet was a hymn. As we walked my father continuously asked where we were. As we passed one familiar landmark after another, building after building on streets he has spent a whole life time becoming familiar with. Tonight he was clueless. When I said, "That's the town hall dad."
He said, "If you say so."
After our walk we took a ride through York Harbor and Long Sands Beach. Again he found nothing familiar. He did recognize the ocean and we were both surprised at how high the tide was as the waves were breaking over the sidewalk in places.
Theresa had emailed me a letter to deliver to him. I printed it out when I received it this afternoon. I tucked it in an envelope and drove over to Sentry Hill. When I got there I was excited to give it to him. I had lost it. Not sure how. When he asked what I was looking for I told him a letter from Theresa. He helped me look all through my truck to no avail. He kept asking about it.
I just called him and read it from the email she sent. She added a prayer which was particularly nice. He listened very attentively and was very pleased. I will reprint it and drop it off for him tomorrow.
Technorati Tags: Lobster, First Parish Church, Clark University, Long Sands Beach, Father's Day, Dementia, Great Depression
If the rain would give way to some sun I think I would feel much better about so much. I haven't seen my dad in 3 days. I have thought about him lots and have prayed for him.
We had him to our house for dinner last week on Father's Day. We had his favorite dinner, Lobsters. When I was a kid he would order 5 for himself. He would eat 5, by himself. He loved and still does love lobsters. We also invited my wife Sandra's parents. My kids were there and it was a very special time.
My father made a comment about a month ago which I have thought of often, recently. My father grew up in the depression. He was born in 1928. His parents owned a farm that I can see just through the window from where I am now writing. They didn't have much cash. My father was a teenager during the great depression. My grandfather used to work on the town roads to pay his property taxes which was customary for many locals.
Growing up I always had the impression that my father resented people who had more education than he had. He was especially leery of people who had gone to college. He had completed 7th grade. He recently told me that at this point his mother told him he didn't need to go to school any longer and that it wouldn't do him any good. My father is a smart man. He is intellectually challenging and had always had keen instinct.
As my oldest son Nathaniel completed his freshman year at Clark University recently, my father has taken more interest than I would have thought. He has been interested in driving to Worcester to see the campus. A few weeks ago after more than one person told my father how smart he is he told me that he thought he might be able to go to college himself. I was very surprised. I was also disappointed for him. He is 80 with dementia. I didn't know how to reply.
After all of those years of resenting people with higher education he now considers it desirable.
I took my dad out to dinner tonight to the York Hospital Cafeteria. He had a cheeseburger, large piece of chocolate cake and a cup of ice cream. After we took a walk around York Village. It was beautiful in the mist. The bells at the First Parish Church clanged out a song that I didn't recognize but would bet was a hymn. As we walked my father continuously asked where we were. As we passed one familiar landmark after another, building after building on streets he has spent a whole life time becoming familiar with. Tonight he was clueless. When I said, "That's the town hall dad."
He said, "If you say so."
After our walk we took a ride through York Harbor and Long Sands Beach. Again he found nothing familiar. He did recognize the ocean and we were both surprised at how high the tide was as the waves were breaking over the sidewalk in places.
Theresa had emailed me a letter to deliver to him. I printed it out when I received it this afternoon. I tucked it in an envelope and drove over to Sentry Hill. When I got there I was excited to give it to him. I had lost it. Not sure how. When he asked what I was looking for I told him a letter from Theresa. He helped me look all through my truck to no avail. He kept asking about it.
I just called him and read it from the email she sent. She added a prayer which was particularly nice. He listened very attentively and was very pleased. I will reprint it and drop it off for him tomorrow.
Technorati Tags: Lobster, First Parish Church, Clark University, Long Sands Beach, Father's Day, Dementia, Great Depression
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please leave a comment, I would like to hear from you.