The Boy Teacher and The Father Student # 80; We Will Stay In Touch

Certain circumstances require that one should not stay at home and burden the family with health issues. It would seem to this writer that the particulars of the condition are truly not relevant. We are in good hands with trusted and fantastic medical services, mentioning this particular condition would render sympathy and advice, to be quite frank that is not what we are after here. This is a little different than normal as it spans all four of my children.

This one from the eldest child in her thirties old daughter in D.C..

D: Dad are you OK?

F: I have 3 tubes going into me and am confined to bed with 24 hour care, I am still disoriented and in one of those gowns that reveal all from behind. But hell yes I am OK.

D: Dad the very sick thing is that I think you are. Shouldn’t you be all freaked out?

F: Hey have you not ever had a bed bath by a gorgeous nurse – put it on your bucket list. (Well handsome for you I hope)

D: I think I will fly out to be with you. I know it is too hard for Gabe to see you like that. He must be freaking out himself.

F: Easy does it there. He swung by enough to crack some jokes and do fist pumps. And I am getting better already. So no special trips from you.

D: Oh by the way did you change your will to give everything to me yet?

F: I was getting better but now you are killing me with laughter. LoL

Elder Son

The next call was from my elder son 30 something. He leads a band and is a model so we do not mention age. San Francisco based. And we refer to each other as best friends. We both have degrees in philosophy so we love to argue.

S: Hey pops are you on your way out or back in.

F: As far as the hospital is concerned on my way out, as far as life I am all in.

S: Hay said you changed your will and left everything to her. LoL

F: The only will I have changed is my willingness to get out of here and come kick your ass for even making your innuendos.

S: Well I can tell you are doing fine by your typical ornery attitude. But actually you sound good.

F: Oh that. No that is just the special kind of morphine I am getting. Don’t tell anyone but that kind of makes it fun being here. Kind of reminds me of those LSD trips I swear I never went on.

S: Gabe’s mom tells me that they are kicking you out to a skilled care place for physical and occupational therapy.

F: Right. But call it what it is; a nursing home.

S: Horrible but I hear they have the best in the west physical rehab unit, the net says it wins awards every year.

In the new unit my almost 10 son comes around and we stop by and visit the lonely folks who quite literally are there to die. The sight of a young one surely does brighten the days. We had some preacher type come by and mainly lead in cool worship songs. You would have to ask what “group” they were from as the setting was such that you needed to even relate to atheists who attended. Most gave themselves away though if you know your differing dogmas, which most do not.

The very first one made a bee line to me when done and told me there was purpose for why I was there. And he did not mean therapy. From that exact moment on I just let my overflowing of love and joyfulness runneth over. Did you know that in places like that they can forget your name by the hour but ask them what they were doing 25 years ago and off they go with the smallest of details? What great stories. Ask them what their children were like at 10 and you will get another ear full.

Turned out it was a wonderful place to be to give out more love than anywhere I have ever been.

Young Son

S: Why do so many look so sad?

F: That is an easy one – what do we have that they do not? Well it is faith and hope. Not to mention being alone.

S: That is sad. I would be sad too. So why do they smile when you and I come by? Wait don’t even answer that; it is because then they are not alone and we give them faith and hope through love.

F: Son I told you that you were too young to read my sermons.

S: Shoot dad, I even share them with my online buddies and they actually read some of them. And yes I do not write to anyone who I do not know from school.

S: You do know that they all think I am your grandson.

F: Heck if just a couple little things went different you could be my great grandson. Well almost.

S: You seem to like it here, so does that mean you are staying longer.

F: Exactly the opposite they would kick me out today but it takes them 3 days to do the paper work.

S: That is cray cray.

F: You will learn soon, about just how nuts institutions are. Just don’t try to fix them right away. Just accept it for what it is. Otherwise the grief is all on you.

S: Dad Addy said you are nuts and would even be happy in jail.

D: Do you believe her?

S: Well you are not normal and act crazy sometimes so maybe she is right.

F: Well now you kind of get this place. Crazy is their normal.

S: So that is why there are never any kids here.

F: Never thought of that because as you know I like crazies but they scare kids. Not you because you live with me.

Youngest Daughter

D: Dad I heard you got shifted to an old folks home. Do they blend and strain your food and feed you?

F: Very funny, and I have a private 24 hour a day hotty nurse and get pushed around in a wheelchair drooling with my tongue hanging out yelling to see my spouse who passed 10 years ago.

D: I knew you are just fine but stepmom said that maybe some were like that, how sad.

F: First day I was kind of freaked but in my own dorky way I smiled and did the whole “You look great today and I love that shawl”. And then they began to be real people and not maniacs to me. Boy you can believe there was not one second of “poor poor me after a day.”

D: How is your writing going? Are you still publishing?

F: I just got my laptop yesterday. I am saving my scribbled notes from before. It is kind of fun to see the improvement in my eye-hand co-ordination. Improve day by day. That one step forward and two back via the back space key. But improving.

D: Talk to you tomorrow Daddio. I am proud of you. Love you.

F: Love you more, good night.

And so that wonderful heartbeat of love has continuity no matter the circumstance.

(I left out the longer questions and answers about their lives but that might be overly invading their privacy. But a dad does have a right to live vicariously through their children.)