A Dad Day

Thursdays are now designated as my 'dad day.' Dad is 77 years old and has Parkinson's and mild dementia. His doctor has told him that he should stop driving. He gets disoriented and sometimes gets lost even going to familiar places. With all the controversy over Obamacare, I am practicing Daughtercare. By taking dad out once a week it gives him something to look forward to. He does not like to stay home for very long and feels cooped up. So last Thursday I picked him up early and we went to Denny's for breakfast. His favorite place to eat. Then we drove in the country and admired old barns, the shapes of trees without leaves, grain silos and fields being plowed.

Dad asked if we could go to the cemetery where my mom, brother and uncle are buried. We found their head stones partially covered with mud from a grave that was freshly dug near them. Using my tennis shoe I worked at scraping the mud off. On Easter I plan to take a small broom and flowers back to the cememtery. I often wonder if dad is contemplating when his days on earth will be over and he will be buried beside mom. The Bible says that man is given 70 years and if by strength 80 years. Personally I want my dad to be around for a loonng time.

Dad and I finished our Thursday with a shopping spree at Walmart. He asked me how much money he had in his checking account. I told him he had enough for anything he needed. He said he would like some new clothes. So off we went to Walmart. Dad rode the motorized scooter all around the men's section. He was very good at maneuvering down narrow aisles. He picked out a belt, a hat, three pairs of slacks, ten shirts, houseshoes, dress shoes and six pair of boxers. It was like Christmas in March for dad. I remember dad taking me and my sisters shopping for school clothes when we were little. Now it is my turn to take him shopping.

This week we are planning our breakfast at Denny's again on Thursday. Afterwards we are going to St. Francis for an ultrasound on his carotid artery and a CT scan of his chest. Not as much fun as shopping but dad enjoys receiving Daughtercare more than Obamacare.