One Into One

I'm barely awake.

I spent part of the night with dad looking for little flat pens to put into envelopes that weren't there. At times he was certain what he was looking for was in his bed so we had to be very careful that we didn't push it off onto the floor. At other times he was clear as a bell and laughed to think how crazy the whole scene was.

"What a way for an old man to die," he laughed, "to drive him crazy."

I knew there was nothing there, that he was dreaming, but when he said if it drops into the pee-filled bedside commode I'd be the one to reach in to get it, well, I did pause for a moment! Dad smiled at the idea of Miss Smarty Pants not being so sure of herself.

Finally, convinced that the envelopes were not there, he crawled back under the covers and went to sleep. But not before asking me to write down all these stories and put them together for him. Hmmm, how does one weave together a tale of 1/2 fried chickens, a new uniform for the Southern Bell railroad, and envelopes that read "one into one." I'm not sure I'm the author for this task.

Strangely, much as I don't like jumping up out of a deep sleep, adrenaline pumping through my tired veins, I am beginning to enjoy these nightly conversations. Not sure why except that it's like I'm witnessing a kinder, gentler version of my father, even if he is a little crazy.

There is no connection here whatsoever, but I just read this quote. I love it.

"Laughter is carbonated holiness."
Anne Lamott

That's what I want to focus on today. Laughter.

Wishing you a day filled with things that make you laugh,
Merry ME

Comments

Pamela Jones said…
A friend of mine just returned from caring for her father for a week. He suffers from dementia and, like your dad, kind of fades in and out. She reported, after all the ups and downs, that she was impressed that "through it all, he was very kind."
August 25, 2010 at 12:55 PM
paradox said…
What a great story...sounds like you ARE writing all of these stories down for him...and sharing them with us to boot. :)
August 25, 2010 at 9:35 PM
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