First of all, happy belated Veterans day to all those who have served our country. I have 2 great uncles who served during WWII, a cousin who was a marine, and a few veterans on Megan's side as well. Thank you for your service.
November 11 is also another important day in the Leong household. My dad turned 72! Honestly, this one is a pretty special birthday. There was a chance that we weren't going to see this birthday.
My dad had a stroke at the end of January. Not only was it a rough way to start my Sabbatical, but it was a huge change for my family. Over the past few months, there have been solo trips to California to help out, many trips to various doctors and therapists, sleepless nights for both parents, and more than a few fights as everyone has had to adjust to this new reality. My dad is starting to make some real strides in recovery. There is a very real possibility that walking without assistance is in his future, which is a huge blessing.
While this has been a pretty big change for our family, there are a few things that I've learned. I won't do a list of 72, but I think we can knock out a few nuggets here.
- I'm thankful to have a good relationship with my siblings. My younger siblings are doing most of the care work (along with my mom) and my older sister comes out when she can from Arizona. I'm the furthest east and with all the things we have going on out here in Omaha, I've only been able to make a trip out there about once a quarter. Thankfully, we all have good lines of communication so they're keeping me up to date with what's happening and we've all been on the same page. I haven't been shamed for not coming out more often and they've been super generous. It's been a blessing.
- It's good to see my strengths come in handy. My motto in life seems to be "we'll make it work." I've never seen an episode of MacGyver but I'd like to think that we're kindred spirits. This has come in handy as I've had to help my parents prepare the house for someone with limited mobility. They haven't all worked (strapping the boxing gloves to the hand bike to help my dad get exercise was a bit of a bust) but some have turned out well (furniture dolly garbage can, anyone?) and I'd like to think that I've been helpful. Every time I've visited, there's been a list of home projects that needed to get done and so far, we've been able to knock off most of that list.
- My mom is a super hero. My mom was a nurse for a LONG time, which means she knows how to care for people well. That has been put to the test over these past few months as she's had to provide a LOT of care to my dad. I don't think this is how she planned on spending her retirement but she continues to care for him, often to her own detriment. I'd say that those "for better or for worse, in sickness and in health" vows are sticking pretty good at this point.
- I am really thankful that my dad is still around. As hard as the past few months have been for everyone, the alternative scenario of him not being in our lives would be WAY worse. He's not cooking the big meals that he used to but his generous spirit is still in tact. His speech is still a little slurred but his mind is still there and we can still talk sports like we did before. He could never really sing, so his love of music has been unaffected. =0). All in all, my dad with a stroke is way better than having no dad at all.
So, here's to you, Papa Leong! Here's to (at least) 72 more years!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
