This week, we have been spending a lot of time with Dad. He is often confused owing to a combination of strong medication and a gradual buildup of toxins that his body can no longer remove.
I have received a lot of strong words of encouragement over the past weeks (thank you so much everyone), and I also received a few pieces of advice that were personally really helpful for me, and I thought I might share them (paraphrased below) because they could be helpful for others as well.
The first is to remember that in-between the sometimes monotonous activities of daily life, there are occasionally moments that connect you again with some of life's possibilities, and that these are really important moments worth looking forward to and holding onto. Sometimes for brief moments Dad is still here, and able to come up with one-liners that make everyone around him laugh (thanks Tim).
The second is to try to think about Dad outside the really hard parts of his illness. I was warned that some of the hard times could leave such a strong impression that it could be difficult to think about him as he was in my childhood or adult life, or during those moments when he still recognizes and smiles at you (thanks Rachael).
And so, I am following that advice and remembering who he is, and enjoying some really special time with Dad.
-Pete
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