Turning the Page

My dad is built like a tank. At 84 he's made it through life so far without any serious health problems. The majority of time that he's spent in hospitals has been in waiting rooms. Today he is the patient, and I'm the one in the waiting room, hanging out with my son-in-law, Adam.

Since my mother passed away 14 years ago, Pop has been living all by himself most of the time. Brenda, the kids and I moved to North Carolina to be with him for four years after Mom died. (He and Mom moved to the Carolinas from southern California after he retired in 1982). After our tenure in the Carolinas, we decided to move to the Nashville area in 2001, knowing Pop was physically and emotionally able to live by himself.

As I sit here this morning in a Charlotte hospital, waiting for the doctors to put a stint somewhere in his cardiovascular system, my mind is full, thinking about how quick, or not so quickly, he will recover. We are ready to do whatever it takes to give him the best recovery possible. There is yet another surgery that he must endure to insure an aortic aneurism, his primary health issue, is taken care of. I anticipate a full recovery, and hopefully very soon.

Its funny how we as children of aging parents become parents to them at some point. If Pop had it his way, he wouldn't bother us with anything. My dad's health has been stellar so far. So to come upon this "bump in the road" has been a surprise to him. He really is a young man in his heart, although he is well aware of his inability to keep up with younger folks. He will just have to get used to being doted upon and being served for a change. He deserves it!

The reality is: its probably time to turn the page and make provisions for the future. That might mean Brenda and I will host Pop in Tennessee. In any event, he is stubborn and won't give in easily. He's a fighter--that's what has kept him around so long--way past the age of most members of his family. You go, dad!