Disappointed

[Barbara Moulton]

I was going to drive down early to Toronto this morning and visit my dad before I went and picked up Leisha and we went to see The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe.

I can still do the latter but not the former. We have a lot of snow out there and it is supposed to stop mid-morning. So I'll be able to get away in time to do the thing with Leisha but not with dad.

It is hard having dad in a city where none of his kids live. That's where he wanted to settle, to be near to be able to live in a Salvation Army retirement facility. Unfortunately, all of us live at least an hour away and now that the winter is upon us, you can never be sure whether you'll be able to make it in or not.

[Bruce Carriker]

I'm sorry you didn't get to see your Dad. That's one of the curses of our very mobile society - the loss of contact with family as we make career choices, retirement decisions, etc. When my folks retired, they moved back to the place where THEY grew up. None of us kids had any real attachments there, hadn't grown up there, and it was at least 3-1/2 hours from the closest of my brothers and sisters.

Now I see my Mom a couple of times a year, and cherish that time together. Although she enjoys very good health, she turns 75 next month (How can my Mom be 75 when I'm still 30? Oh, I'm not?). Each time we are together, I am increasingly aware that every visit could be the last one.

[Barbara Moulton]

After I posted this yesterday, it stopped snowing and I decided to chance it.
While it took me three hours to make, the trip (due to the weather) I got in and was able to spend a couple of hours with dad.

I am so glad I did.

The new medication they just put him on has decreased his anger and violence and we were able to have a very peaceful time together. He still can't remember much (he had completely forgotten that Carl, my husband of 22 years had become a Christian for example and that happened 26 years ago. He had no recollection of Carl becoming a minister.)

But we were still able to make some points of connection.

It was a wonderful Christmas gift.

[Bruce Carriker]

I'm so glad for you, Barbara.