Who's On First?

Lesson learned. Talk to Dad about one thing, and one thing only. If I have two things to discuss, wait and talk to him about the second thing later!
Today we talked about his lawyer, Frank. We also talked about his new tenant, Don. By the end of the conversation we sounded like a remake of the Abbott and Costello piece, "Who's on First?" It was confusing, for both of us!

I haven't listened to this piece for years. 

It's brilliant, simply brilliant!

Important

This week Dad called me about a two-page document he had. It came from his broker and described changes in his IRA. The word, "IMPORTANT" was prominently displayed in capital letters across the top of the document. Dad was a bit concerned about the paper and asked what he needed to do. I told him that it was probably documentation that new banking regulations require brokers to send out. I asked Dad what date was on the document. He looked around and finally found the date, April 10, 2010. Then he immediately asked, again, what he should do with it. He asked if he should send it to his financial advisor. I tried to explain that the document actually came from the company where his financial advisor works, and that, since it was over two years old, he didn't need to do a thing with the paper except throw it away. Dad could not grasp that. He kept asking about sending it to this financial advisor. He couldn't, or wouldn't, understand that the information was old information, had been sent as an "FYI" and that nothing needed to be done about it. We left it with Dad putting the document in a folder for me to look at the next time I'm at his apartment.  It seems that Dad could not understand that the document was two years old, and thus the information was 'old news'. He kept getting hung up on the word, "Important" and felt he must 'do' something with the information.

My Dad is Back in Town

Dad's back from his cruise. He was gone 4 months. Wow! That's a long time.
It seemed to take him a week or two to settle back into things at home.
At first he seemed more forgetful than before he left, but that seemed to go away as he became more rested.
Although I've gone out to dinner with Dad and his girl, we didn't talk too much about the cruise. Dad has been more 'in the moment' as far as our conversation goes than recalling his adventures.
He has asked that I help him download pictures from his camera. Maybe that will open up avenues for discussion about his trip.

Look Well, Therefore, To This Day

My dad found a way to instill productivity in his children. From my earliest recollections I can hear my dad saying, "Do something constructive." and, "Finish what you start." To this day, I sometimes most often feel guilty if I am not 'doing something'! 

Dad's words echo those, a bit less eloquently or perhaps a bit more succinctly, of Kalidasa in his "Salutation to the Dawn".

I was introduced to Kalidasa's words at summer camp. Our camp director would close the morning flag raising on most days, with this powerful recommendation. For many years, the salutation meant little to me, except that it was keeping me from my breakfast. But, as I matured I began to listen to the words. I began to embrace the words. 

Look to this day

for it is life.

The very life of life.

In its brief course lie all

the verities and truths of existence;

the joy of growth,

the splendor of action,

the glory of power.

For yesterday is but a dream

And tomorrow is only a vision.

But, today well-lived

makes every yesterday 

a dream of happiness

and every tomorrow a vision of hope.

Look well, therefore, to this day;

Such is the salutation to the new dawn.

Kalidasa's words define my life.  I try to live each day to the maximum extent possible. I lie abed in the morning and plan my day. I outline each moment. Should there be a minute that I have not accounted for, I 'Look well, therefore, to this day' and get involved. I make sure that I am doing something constructive and that I finish everything most things I start. Such is the way I was raised!

Failing Memory

I received this in an email and felt, for me, it was just too 'spot on'. I just had to share!

Senior citizens are constantly being criticized for every conceivable deficiency of the modern world, real or imaginary. We know we take responsibility for all we have done and do not blame others.

HOWEVER, upon reflection, we would like to point out that it was NOT the senior citizens who took:

The melody out of music,

The pride out of appearance,

The courtesy out of driving,

The romance out of love,

The commitment out of marriage,

The responsibility out of parenthood,

The togetherness out of the family,

The learning out of education,

The service out of patriotism,

The Golden Rule from rulers,

The nativity scene out of cities,

The civility out of behavior,

The refinement out of language,

The dedication out of employment,

The prudence out of spending,

The ambition out of achievement or
God out of government and school.

And we certainly are NOT the ones who eliminated patience and tolerance from personal relationships and interactions with others!!

And, we do understand the meaning of patriotism, and remember those who have fought and died for our country.

Just look at the Seniors with tears in their eyes and pride in their hearts as they stand at attention with their hand over their hearts!

YES, I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN!

I'm the life of the party..... Even if it lasts until 8 p.m.

I'm very good at opening childproof caps..... With a hammer.

I'm awake many hours before my body allows me to get up.

I'm smiling all the time because I can't hear a thing you're saying.

I'm sure everything I can't find is in a safe secure place, somewhere.

I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy, and that's just my left leg.

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

Yes, I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life!

Now if I could only remember who sent this to me, I wouldn't send it back to them, but I would send it to many more too!

Spread the laughter
Share the cheer
Let's be happy
While we're here.

Empty

Saturday Centus is a writing exercise. Jenny Matlock posts a prompt each week and describes limitations the writer must adhere to. This week we were challenged to write 107 words and include: saying goodbye was harder than she thought. Here is my response:

Empty

source

When did life change? When did she become everything to Dad?  She couldn’t place it on a timeline. She couldn’t recall if it happened suddenly, when Mom died, or whether it sidled up little by little. She went through Dad’s refrigerator, tossing unrecognizable tidbits and packing perishables to take with her. She looked over her shoulder as she stepped into the hall, already feeling a sense of loss. Emptiness. What would she do with her time now? Saying goodbye was harder than she thought. But imagining the adventures Dad would have with his friends on the cruise brought a smile to her face, and her heart lightened. 

I have been participating in this writing challenge for a few weeks from my other blog. But, the prompt fit so well on Dad's blog, that I decided to post it here. To read other responses to the challenge, click on the Saturday Centus button below. 

Letters

I received my first letter from Dad. He seems to be having a wonderful time on his cruise. He enjoys the food and participated in a wine tasting program, which he really liked. I was tickled that he explained how the ship has a stabilizer to keep the ship steady despite heavy seas. Yup... that's the Engineer in him! Dad even gave me statistics, such as the ship having 647 crew members, 10 decks and 2 restaurants. He is enjoying the programs they have in the theater every evening. I am thinking he likes the ship better than his retirement community!

Speaking of his community, in getting Dad's mail I came across a letter from the Director of Food Services.  He explained that a committee had investigated different coffee options for the community. They selected a different coffee than that which is currently being served for the community to try. It's amazing how quickly news spreads. Look at this paragraph from the director:

This cracked me up! Not only does word travel fast, but isn't the power of suggestion amazing?!!