Birthdays in the Flatt House come and go without much ado. We are thankful to be alive another day, but beyond that we aren’t one for the big party fan fair. Our celebrations are sweet and tidy, usually complete with a bottle of Indiana wine and a Publix cupcake. However, seeing my frail Daddy cling to life and hope the last couple weeks makes me really want to celebrate my husband’s birthday in extraordinary fashion. I don’t mean party streamers and balloons. I mean never missing an opportunity to really listen to his heart. I mean giving him a sincere thank you when he helps me around the house, which is now a daily event. I mean reassuring him that everything is going to be OK, because he has said this to me from the first moment we fell in love. I mean really being present. Time is our “present”. May we have time, here and beyond. I love you, @studio92images ❤️🎉🎂🙏🏻
One of my father’s siblings bought this coffee mug for him years ago. Every time I use it, it makes me smile. It says, simply, “old age ain’t no place for sissies”. The Bette Davis quote on this mug took on a whole new meaning the last two weeks. Towards the end of my monthly visit, my dad (who has emphysema, COPD, liver issues,etc) fell and broke his hip. Broken hips are usually game changers in the world of old age. It is too early to say how much will change, as the situation seems to be playing out an hour at a time. One hour brings healing, one hour brings tears, one hour brings rest, one hour brings questions. The last week and a half have been filled with lots of talk about bodily functions, bodily fluid, strange smells, awkward conversations, tired nurses, kind doctors with concerned eyes, and more love and support than I’ve known what to do with. I am tired and broken, but I remain hopeful. I’m watching my dad try to live. He hurts and he’s tired too, but he’s pressing on. He’s going to give rehab his very best effort. The rest, well, Thy Will Be Done. He isn’t mine, he is the Lord‘s. Now, I have to do what the Lord tells us to do when we become One with another. I need to get home to my family. I need to be a wife before I am a daughter. Life can throw us off balance quickly, but Jesus tells that storm to cease. I’ll have courage in you, Lord. No sissies here. #parents #elderlyparents #oldage #oldageaintnoplaceforsissies #stanthonyshospital #bonsecoursmariamanor #healing #rehab #helpusjesus #thywillbedone
