April 27, 2008

Spring time in Iowa. The 45 degree morning is very welcome after a long winter. The trees are budding and breaking out into to small leaves. Tulips and daffodils are in bloom. Yard work calls.

I spent about 10 days in the Fairborn, Ohio area visiting family earlier in the month. My mother had a knee replacement, and needed extra physical therapy before she could return home, and received both physical and occupational therapy for a month at a rehab facility. The women and men in that unit were hard workers, and I knew I could take some lessons from them! A 93 year old woman recovering from a heart attack and fall led the way by example. When it was her turn to work out, she put her whole heart into it, determined to grow strong enough to return to her own home and be on her own again. Mother worked every day until she was exhausted, determined to get home as quickly as possible. I am very proud of her strong spirit.

I had some good times with my Dad as well. My younger sister, Ruth, was caring for him. Although his heart was lonely for Mother, Ruth cared so gently for him. Dad doesn't like to eat the same thing two days in a row. One day my dad asked me if I would go get him a burger and fries at McDonalds. "Sure," I responded. There were some other things in the refrigerator that were very good, left over from the day before. When I mentioned to Ruth that Dad wanted MeDonald's for lunch she knew right away what he was trying to do. He didn't want the left overs (no matter how good they were) two days in a row. (The third day is fine though.) And he didn't want to ask her to make him something else. His perfect solution: McDonalds! Ruth very gently told Dad that if that was what he really wanted, of course, he could have a MeDonald's treat that day. But, she said, if he would prefer, she was getting ready to make a tuna salad that he could have with toast and water melon on the side. Ruth packed Dad's tuna salad full of extra chopped vegtables, and another healthy lunch won the day.

I'm not with them often enough to be counted as a caretaker. My trip was to allow my own heart some home time with my extended family, and to give them a respite where possible. Then, to return to my own husband and family in Muscatine, Iowa. I count myself blessed for the love I received while there from both family and friends.