Wikipeida: A eulogy (from εὐλογία, eulogia, Classical Greek for “praise”) is a speech or writing in praise of a person(s) or thing(s), especially one who recently died or retired or as a term of endearment. As the eldest of three, the task/honor/responsibility/privilege has fallen to me. How to say? What to say? To whom? I …
Monthly Archives: August 2015
Ready?
We were not ready. How could we be. Ready for seven hours at his side – wondering every moment if this would be his last breath. Does he have a pulse? Yes. No. Yes. “Is that normal?” Mom asks, as he takes a long groan. “Is it pain? Are you sure he’s comfortable?” It was …
Too quiet
I landed at 11:50 AM and made it to their condo by 12:30. Dad was lying down on the window seat. Mom reading to him. S (sister) was working on her computer in the dining room. M (brother) arrived about 2:00 and by 3:00, dad was having trouble finishing sentences. At 3:24, sitting in the …
Catching Up …
When we left each other at the top of the jetway, my plan was to follow in a day or two. I reserved a flight for Monday, and another for Tuesday. (Southwest – my favorite airline – allows cancellation without penalty. So I often buy more than one ticket and as the date approaches, I …
On a jet plane ..
The plan was to return to the West Coast on Saturday. I wasn’t sure he would make it. Every day – he seemed a bit weaker. The nurse from hospice came Thursday. Most of the conversation with her was about diarrhea. There were a few “accidents” in the previous few days and that was humiliating. This …
Cancel please …
It was important for dad to go to the gym today. He was the navigator as I drove through unfamiliar streets – despite their proximity to the town where I grew up. I asked why he chose this gym (it’s about 25 minutes from the house – on the other side of the tracks) over something …
The Directives
He’s made the decision public. Well .. not PUBLIC but M called me last night on speakerphone with mom and dad. He wants it to be clear. He asked me if I wanted it in writing and I said “no.” “If I get a headache or something, of course I’ll take an aspirin or tylenol …
Communication
I didn’t get up so early as I would have liked yesterday. It was already 80 degrees by the time I left for my run. I took a short-cut and made it an even 13.2 miles – up and down the “heartbreak hill” marathon route. There isn’t enough water along the route. Hundreds of …
Calcium
Last night after dinner, mom and A took a walk. We’re in Boston now. Dad went upstairs to rest his belly. I helped an old friend move his website to a new server. A normal evening. Dad ate a BIG dinner: we had corn and squash from the farmer’s market on the turnpike and there …