Parents Again
What a nice break this past weekend was. Well, okay - it wasn't much of a break. Well, okay, it wasn't a break at all. But it was a wonderful weekend nonetheless. V and I were in Saskatoon to visit my parents. And to see Springheel Jill, who also came for a few days of overlap. Well okay, they were in Saskatoon to visit; I was in Saskatoon to work! But still, I had enough time to do some visiting and catch up on family affairs. Things with my dad seem to be improving. The home he's in seems to be comfortable and he gets good care. Not "great care", as my mother suggests, since he is often unshaved when we arrive (we shave him then); and his swollen and sore left foot does not get his special sock unless we put it on. But by and large there is little to complain about. And dad is much more alert and responsive than a few months ago. He actually chuckled when I asked him if he was trying to one-up me with his beard as I was shaving him. The home has a big party once a month, to celebrate the birthdays of every resident who has a birthday in the month, and we were there for dad's celebration. It was really nice. The question now is whether we should request a transfer from his present home to a more Mennonite-friendly home. There would be two main advantages: dad would likely know more people at another home (certainly mom would); and the music, language and traditions that he grew up with would be more in evidence. There would be disadvantages too: greater distance for mom to travel to see dad; and the increased possibility of a run-in with people that mom would really rather not deal with when she's already dealing with dad's condition.
Mom's in better shape too. Less scratching, no antibiotics, lots of excitement when kids - or grandkids - visit. I think finances have been weighing heavily on her, especially since dad was taken into institutional care. It was good to visit with her financial advisor and see that she'll do just fine. And I am so grateful that both D and S live close by to mom - they get the brunt of the daily issues, whereas all I need to do is come in for a weekend visit once a month or so. I wish I could do more.
Mom's in better shape too. Less scratching, no antibiotics, lots of excitement when kids - or grandkids - visit. I think finances have been weighing heavily on her, especially since dad was taken into institutional care. It was good to visit with her financial advisor and see that she'll do just fine. And I am so grateful that both D and S live close by to mom - they get the brunt of the daily issues, whereas all I need to do is come in for a weekend visit once a month or so. I wish I could do more.