Yesterday was Dad’s 92nd birthday, and we celebrated as we have for the last few years, although this time heartbroken by my deceased brother’s absence.  Mom and I are still trying to cope with that loss every day, though we rarely talk about it beyond a brief mention. His wife stopped by for some cake…
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Don’t leave me
After getting Dad into his recliner for an afternoon nap (usually about 3 hrs.), I got on my knees and gave him a big hug. “I love you , Dad.” “I love you, too.” I could tell he was anxious. With apparent dismay, he seemed to be trying to say “I can never do that…
Bedtime angel
Incredibly, every night for the last several months, after my mother and I have gotten Dad into bed, Mom sits by him, her arm over the cold metal rail, holding his hand until he goes to sleep. Most nights she softly sings to him, not in words, but with a beautiful calm melody. When he…
Brief history
My father’s illness began to take hold of him about eight years ago, so much of what I will write about here happened some time ago. When time is relevant, I will usually give some indication in the post. But a large part will be current, reported more or less on the day or within…
The chronicle
For a long time I have thought about writing down some of the events in connection with my father’s illness. And for a long time I have delayed starting. A number of considerations stalled me, chiefly the desire to keep his identity, as well as my family member’s identities, confidential. It is not at all…
A lonely path through a darkening land
This blog is a chronicle of my father’s path through that dark land of gradual loss and dimming light. But there is much more to this story than sadness, though there is plenty of that. It is mostly a story of the profound depth of human feeling and the unbreakable bonds formed when facing shared…