Member-only story
Undismayed
A calming reminder and an aspirational attitude for these crazy times we live in
My life has changed a lot over the past few months. I published my last story here a whole month ago. My writing is one thing that has gone by the wayside along with other interests and non-essential responsibilities.
It was November when it all began. As of November 8, my dad was the healthiest ninety-one year old imaginable. He went to the hospital — drove himself there and walked in barely needing a cane — was admitted for a minor procedure and came out a week later having completely lost his mobility.
The details aren’t important here, but since that time he has had two more hospitalizations and is now in his third rehab facility.
I have seen that the aging process can happen slowly over a period of years, a little bit of decline at a time. You get a chance to prepare that way. But other times it happens in one fell swoop. An event occurs — seemingly minor — but the result is that all those dominos of health that have remained standing for so long despite the odds begin to fall and just keep falling.
My parents have been married for sixty-two years, and I can count on one hand the times they have spent even one night apart until these last months.
