A Ray of Sunshine

The visit with my dad today was like a ray of sunshine in the darkness of the past several days. He was even more responsive and alert, and very close to being back to his old self.

When I arrived at the Assisted Living Home, he was sitting in a recliner in the activity area. He was cat-napping at that moment, so I didn't disturb him and instead introduced myself to the Sitter who was in the chair next to him. She moved over so that I could sit next to my dad, then told me that she had worked for my dad at the technical center where he was the Director. I didn't recognize her, but that was because she had worked in one of the "far-off" buildings, on the outskirts of the main campus (the technical center that my dad directed was a rather large one).

My dad woke up after only a couple of minutes, and his face lit up with recognition of me. We hugged tightly, and when I asked how he was feeling, he smiled and gave a nod and said, "Pretty good."

The sitter and I had a nice chat while my dad cat-napped periodically in the recliner. She told me that, as his sitter, there were moments when she would see my dad's "fighting spirit," like he was trying to "fight" Alzheimer's with every bone in his body, so to speak. She also told me that sometimes he would get a certain look on his face that would remind her of a look he would get during staff meetings at the technical center. I thought that was so interesting.

At one point when my dad was fully awake, I decided to try giving him the birthday cards again. Based on what I had seen with him so far, it seemed the right time. This time, he opened the cards with no problem, and wasn't looking for a "third" page. He even seemed to be reading them, and responded with a smile and a nod. I read them to him anyway, just in case.

All in all, it was a very nice visit. My dad even joked around with me, something that hasn't happened in a very long time. I am so thankful to the Lord God Almighty for giving me this ray of sunshine today. Even if my dad is worse again the next time I see him, I will always cherish days like today.