Time is no one's friend

I've always been very proud of the fact that my dad has always been what I would call a go-getter, a ball of fire...a do-it-yourselfer, extremely active, and being a military man, serving active duty in the Navy during World War II and then 30 years in the reserves, he has remained fit most of his life, through regular exercise and physical activity. He's had his share of health conditions and bouts of surgery, but through it all he has remained active, on-the-go and pretty much able to do whatever he likes.

In the last 2 years, however, my sister and I have noticed a gradual decline in his mental abilities...slightly more forgetful, easily confused, and once or twice he has gotten lost in the town he was born and has lived in all his life. Not good signs.

This weekend, my father was admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery following a diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Unusual for an 81-year-old. He's in the hospital recovering, and my sis, Daddy's lady friend and I are taking turns making sure he's not left alone.

Sitting in my father's room today...giving him sips of water, trying to make him comfortable and watching him drift in and out of sleep...it suddenly hit me that my father is old. I've never thought of him as an elderly person, despite his age - he has always been so vital, so active, so sharp, so in touch with current events...this is a man who makes watching the evening news an absolute priority of every day, as important as eating or sleeping...but the time has come for our family to face what we all face eventually: the inevitable aging and mortality of loved ones.

As active as my father has always been, my sister and I have prayed for years that when God takes him, to take him quickly. We can't imagine or bear to watch our always on-the-go father an invalid, languishing in a bed or wheelchair for years before passing away.

My father has an excellent chance of recovering from his surgery. He's on some strong antibiotics and is receiving good care from the doctors and nurses at the hospital. It will take longer, of course...81-year-olds don't bounce back from injury or illness as well as younger folks do...but all indications are that he will be okay. He's even joking when he's having lucid moments and the pain medication he's on isn't making him say comically out-of-context off-the-wall stuff. And asking for a hamburger and a Bud Light instead of the disgusting clear liquid diet he's being forced to adhere to: chicken or beef broth, jello, grape or apple juice, tea and ginger ale. That's enough to make anybody sick.

But for the first time in my life, I recognize and reluctantly accept the fact that my father is now an old man. It happens to all of us, if we live long enough. And the thing to do for the time we have left remaining is to enjoy and appreciate every moment we spend with him, because some day we will regret not taking more opportunities to enjoy spending time with our loved ones while we still can.

I love you Daddy. Get well soon. Can't wait to take you out for a hamburger and a beer.