Michigan Ramblings

Our family vacations are almost all in Michigan. That's okay because I enjoy seeing my father. He'll turn 87 June 29th. He lives at Independence Village in East Lansing. He's in pretty good health, but his back has deteriorated over the years, and he can only walk using a walker. He also has a wheelchair and a Hover-round (which I call the Hovercraft). He's had some vision problems over the years, partly due to a kind of muscular dystrophy of his left eyelid. He uses a hearing aid. But his mind is sharp, and he's never had any real internal problems. He takes no medication whatsoever.

On October 19th of last year, my mother died. Although she had had many health problems over the years, her passing was fairly sudden. She had gone into the hospital with some complaints, and before many tests were able to be conducted, she died. I talked to her on the phone just a few hours before it happened. Of all things, she was worried about how well Barack Obama was doing. I told her that Colin Powell had just endorsed him, and that things were looking up.

When my sister called to tell me that they wanted family up at the hospital, I rushed to do everything that I could - remember, I live in South Georgia. But she called back within the hour with the terrible news. I had a hard time absorbing what she was saying. In a lot of ways, I still do.

I loved my mother very much. We were very different personalities in some ways, and that caused some conflict when was I younger. But all that had become a part of the past, and we had become a lot closer in the last dozen years of her life. I am grateful for that, but I have to tell you, I'm a little bit different in attitude than some. I would be even more grateful if she were still here.

My parents were together for over 56 years, so it has been very hard on my father. I can see that difficulty etched in his face and his movements. But I also see signs that he is finding ways to cope. He has not completely withdrawn at Independence Village. I hear of friends he talks and socializes with. He participates in some of the events the Village offers.

I have stayed committed to calling him once a week. We use the bulk of our vacation time to come to Michigan. My sister stays in touch with him (she live within 20 minutes) and does quite a bit for him, for which I am very grateful. I need to do more to redouble my efforts, maybe write more, as I think he enjoys letters and cards.

This is a ramble, I know. But I appreciate the opportunity to express myself and a little of what I'm feeling. Sometimes, I guess, I'm just a ramblin' man.