Not sure how many of you spend time with elderly parents. If you know me well you know over my years I've been blessed to have a lot of parents! I know one should only have two, but in my case there have been more then that with all the marriages, divorces, and re-marriages.Pictured here is Papa Jack with his six grandchildren.
Today I spent time with Papa Jack. He's pushing 83 now. Time has worn his face, his memory, but not his love for me. He brags to the waiter at the restaurant about how I just ran the marathon. He tells me how beautiful I am, how fantastic my husband Brian is, and how athletic my boy's are. He loves us all so very much and I feel his love to my core.
He repeats himself often. Okay maybe more then often. He shares the same stories more then once, or twice, but I don't mind. I just enjoy his company and listening to him reminisce. We talk about what a bitch it is to get old. You lose your life pretty much. He was a brilliant attorney for some 50 years. Now he watches as many Dodger & Laker games as he can. Not a bad gig, I know, but it just doesn't seem fair.
You live an enriched life, then everything slows down. Your body, your mind, pretty much everything.
He tells me he spends a lot of time just thinking. Pondering. He believes in an after-life. That by believing in his God you could live for eternity. He wishes I shared his religious commitment so that I could live forever too with him. I think one of the kindest words someone ever told me was when he told me how much he'd want me to truly live forever because I am such a good person.
This was a really, genuine from the heart compliment and I've been joked up ever since he told me this earlier today. I feel really loved.
