Major Change Coming

Dear Blog,
I had planned to sign in and change some 'things' I said in my last post but, I changed my mind. Instead, let me try to just say something here and hopefully you will understand a little better.

My dad has not changed in his old age when it comes to being very active, headstrong, and impatient. It is a known fact by all his friends and family that Jack doesn't stay anywhere for very long. If you have him for lunch or supper or Christmas dinner or Thanksgiving, etc. he happily comes and seems to enjoy the company of everyone. After we eat, he is pretty much ready to go. He has always been this way and even though we laugh about it now, he hasn't changed over the years. We joke about the time Joan and I went with he and mother out west -- in 1998 I believe it was. We saw so many places that I will probably never see again in my lifetime, my favorite being the Grand Canyon. When we arrived, the main road into the most popular part of the Canyon was busy with cars and vacationers. We could not find a park anywhere. Dad told mom, me and Joan to just get out of the car and go see the Canyon and that he would drive around and come back and get us in a few minutes. So -- here we go, the three of us walking toward the rim to take a peek. AWESOME, AWESOME!! I could have just sat there all day looking at God's handiwork. Mom wouldn't let us go far due to the fact that we had to keep an eye out for the car when dad got back around to where he let us out. That was our visit to the most beautiful place on earth IMHO (in my humble opinion). We kid about the fact that he slowed down, we jumped out, ran over to the rim, took a quick look, and then jumped back in the car and off we went to the next 'stop' on our trip. Thank goodness, I had one more chance to go back to the Grand Canyon when Jim and I went with mom and dad some years later to most of the same places we had seen in 1998. In 1998, the goal of that trip was for my dad to see the Redwood Forest. Here again, we actually got to the national park before it opened but we were able to drive through a narrow road and see the magnificent trees. We even parked one time and got out and took pictures. Then we jump back into the car and that was our visit to the Redwood Forest. We were then on our way home from that point on.

So, it is just a fact that my daddy 'don't let any grass grow under his feet'. The most heartbreaking thing that has happened to my daddy is that his eyesight got so bad that he had to quit driving and could not jump up and go when he wanted to. He is at the mercy of the caregiver or us so now he has to sit and wait until somebody takes him home if we are together as a family group. We have come to watch for his 'pacing' and we know he's ready to go. We accept how he is and understand he has been that way as long as we've known him. Maybe I'm seeing his 'uneasiness' or whatever you want to call it, as discontentment when it's just 'him'. I want so badly for him to quit fighting so hard and to simply be content and happy with his life. Well, dear blog, that's not who my daddy is and it never will be. I want him to have a 'PEACE' but he just can't -- not like I interpret 'peace'. I think he will pace until which time the Lord calls him home. I hope you understand now? I love my daddy so much. I want him to be happy and not to worry about anything. I want him to let us take care of him. I guess I'm the one who needs 'peace' about his 'pacing'.

I titled this post to let you know of a change that is going to take place. Jack and Eula's three girls have been through some tough times in the last couple of years with our parents. We were able to get a wonderful lady named Mary Ann to take care of them part of the day. She has been a God-send for us as well as mother and daddy. Starting at the first of the new year, my older sister, Joan, will be taking on a new job as mom and dad's caregiver. She will be retiring from her nursing job at Baptist South. The logistics are wonderful in that she will be able to be with them most of the day -- a little longer than Mary stays now. Dad is happy for her to be with them and mother is ecstatic. Joan has been working 12 hr. shifts at the hospital from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. for many years so she will have an adjustment getting back to a 'normal' day. She is looking forward to it needless to say. For now mom and dad are okay at night and do not need 24 hr. care. One day they will and we'll cross that bridge when it comes. So --- this is our 'change'. We know it will be for the better and are thrilled to be able to help mom and dad stay in their home. I ask my blog readers to please pray for Joan to have the patience and endurance she needs for this new endeavor in her life.

All for now ---- more later. I need to tell you about Halloween night and what happened to mother -- thanks to my daddy taking her next door to see the neighbor's very animated witchly decorations.