Dad

Ted. Since returning to Athens, Georgia at the end of April, I have been busy making trips back to Colorado where all of my family lives. My 93 year old father has had some health issues and my two sisters who live nearby have been struggling to support him. To an extent, my visits were intended to provide them with periodic respites. 

My Mom died 14 years ago. At that time, the bulk of the caregiving responsibilities fell to my Dad but this time it has been different. Ours is a common story that I hear from friends our age. First we take care of our children and then, hopefully many years later, our parents need help. 

On June 3, Dad was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. Two days later, I arrived and the next day, my sisters and I made the difficult choice to begin shutting down life support so that our father could gently leave this world. I am pleased to say that Dad’s wonderful life ended with a beautiful death. 

Now I am back in Georgia with an urge every Tuesday to call him, a habit I began 14 years ago. The reality is that I can still talk to him but I have to listen a bit harder to hear his reply.

Dad & Ted in 2016