Dad Update

Dad is still in Intensive Care. Mom seems upbeat about his condition and her own stamina, and if I was just listening to her, I would believe that they are going to get on a plane next month and fly to New York just like they planned.

And maybe they will.

But my sister gets different messages from Mom than I do. Dad can’t swallow; he is on a feeding tube; he sleeps on some sort of cooling device to bring down fever. His speech is garbled. All of that is true: my sister emphasizes it. Mom is more likely to emphasize positive facial expressions.

Conceivably, Dad can hear what is going on around him, and responding with appropriate facial expressions probably does mean something. But it is hard not to think of the new mom who watches her baby for the slightest glimmer of a smile and is likely to see a smile whether it is there or not.

As ONE WITHOUT A JOB, I am available to “help”. That’s tricky. Mom has made it clear that we are not to come home, and I get that. We are somewhat overwhelming when we move back into the homestead at the same time. So, until we can figure out what “help” means, I wait.

And I probably should tell my mother about my pending unemployment– haven’t done that yet.