Bill and Shirley at this season


Tomorrow I take Mom to the hospital for knee replacement surgery.  A little risky since she has a-fib and is on blood thinner for blood clots. No matter. She acts like she's going to a party.

Mom at Amber's wedding

A picture of herself she sent to Bill when he was in Korea. She wrote on the bottom, "I'm still a little girl at heart."

Tonight I helped her get ready to leave early in the morning. I'm her coach for pre- and post-surgery. Kind of like going to birthing classes, we did an hour of instruction to prepare. We get to wear matching t-shirts for her stay in the hospital. And the hospital loans each of us an i-pad while we're there. Not a bad gig.

Right now Mom and dad live in an apartment at Greenprairie Place, an assisted living facility.  Mom loves living there. She so social, she's in her glory. She's on different social committees and is in a book club and Bible study. She writes for the newsletter, interviewing and doing feature stories on incoming residents.

While she recovers from surgery, she and Dad will live at the nursing home. Dad moved there last week so he'd be adjusted before Mom goes to the hospital.

Mom and I went over to the nursing home side to visit Dad tonight. It took awhile to get there since Mom kept stopping to schmooze with each resident. She knows everyone. She stayed there a few years ago after she had a head injury from a bad fall. The staff love her. Joey, the night duty nurse, told her they're all looking forward to having her around again. She's their success story. (She recovered and made it out of there.)

Dad as a young boy on the farm.

I'm hoping that the nursing home will again be a temporary stay for my parents. I don't know though. It's getting harder and harder for my dad. Even though he has home health at Greenprairie, it's becoming more and more difficult for him as his body is failing and his memory is going.

I know a lot of old people when they have dementia get stubborn and mean. It's the opposite for my dad. He's become more tender and grateful. He's just pleasantly confused.

Mom, who is mentally all there but has a few health problems, is breezing through this season of life. She's one of the happiest and most joyful people I know.

No matter the outcome of Mom's surgery tomorrow, all will be well. I am more blessed than I deserve to have Bill and Shirley as parents. They have lived their lives well. I hope I can be like them when I grow up.