Week’s End
I want to thank everyone who sent me links to include in the listing of bloggers who commented on World AIDS Day yesterday. The wide range of stories, remembrances and information presented was inspiring and quite moving. That this was a completely voluntary effort by such a diverse group of bloggers, undertaken with little coordination but a great deal of genuine compassion, is most commendable.
If you haven’t done so already, take some time to click on the links in the entry three below this one and read some of them. As perfectly illustrated in Karsh’s blog, by the absolutely idiotic and senseless comments made by his co-workers, there is still much work to be done educating people about the seriousness of this issue. Some folks just don’t get it until they are personally affected.
Moving on to other matters, I find myself faced with other life and death issues this morning. An email from home informs me my father will be entering a nursing home today. This move has been long resisted by my mother who has been determined to care for him despite the rapidly debilitating affects the Alzheimer’s disease has taken on my father. Over Thanksgiving, this once very active, intelligent and outgoing man was a mere shell of a human being, unable to communicate, barely capable of walking any more, unable to feed himself and surprisingly disinterested in eating as well. To see him in this very helpless state brings me to the verge of tears, and I fear today’s move is just the beginning of the end. Having trained myself to think of our remaining time together in months and weeks, I must now think in hours and days. I fear an unhappy holiday ahead.
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Sorry to hear bout ur dad. But remember that whatever lies ahead, the body of your father is not who he is. It's the vehicle of his soul - So he's doing a lot of soul learning now with this disease he experiences. (Only the bravest among us go through these hard life experiences [me being esoteric]).
While his soul with always be fine, the most you can do now is love your dad for who he is now. Peace and blessings to u and urs.
Me.
Posted by: Reg at December 2, 2005 10:38 PMBernie, I'm so sorry to hear about your father. I would agree with Reg's post above, and send you my love at what is a difficult time for you and your family. I lost my father a year ago, but he'd grown very ill (and difficult) long before that; what I tried to keep in mind and still do, though it's not easy, is not the physical and mental deterioration, but those bright moments, the best memories, which will remain with me always. Peace and God bless you and your family.
Posted by: jstheater at December 5, 2005 4:29 PM*hug*
Posted by: Donald at December 5, 2005 4:52 PMI just read this and I'm sorry to hear of your father's health. I've begun recognizing changes in my folks as well, and it's a bit surreal.
I wish you strength.
Posted by: j. brotherlove at December 7, 2005 7:19 PMDude, I am so sorry to have to read this info about your father. I KNOW how you must feel since I went through 9 months of lung cancer with my mom.
Posted by: That Dude Right There at December 7, 2005 10:16 PM