Blog 

Papa

I mentioned my family has had some unfortunate events, one of them being a year ago yesterday. Mom called me early one morning to tell me papa, (my dad) fell out of the bed during the night and started talking nonsense. Having just read the Sweetpotato Queens book, I knew it was a stroke. I drove like a bat out of hell to pick them up and drive them to the hospital. By then it was too late, the damage was done. Papa had suffered a stroke that erased 50 % of his memory.The doctor explained for instance, if a person with normal brain function was driving down the interstate and suddenly a bag of trash was in the road, they would swerve around and keep moving down the road. With dad's brain , he travels down the highway but if he runs accross the trash in the road(black spot in his brain) he swerves off the road cannot get back on track, but dosen't realize he is off track. All his motor functions were still fine though. He can walk, and talk and you would never realize anything had happened untill a few minutes pass. He had always been a practical joker and a very funny man so when he makes a funny now his meaning can be two sided. You look at him and wait for a slight smile and sometimes a wink. Then you know at that particular moment, he is in there. Other times he looks at you then glances away, not holding eye contact with you, it is then you realize he does not know who you are. He likes to go out in the yard and stare up at the white lines in the sky left by jets. Strokes victims can have symptoms that mimic alsheimers and can even throw a person into full blown Alsheimers. It is very difficult to watch him at times. A friend once told me with alsheimers, you have to suffer the loss two times. Once when they initially begin to suffer the disease, you watch as the person you know and love do odd, strange things completely out of character as you know them, and another when they pass away. He is still with us (sometimes) and we are so grateful for those moments. Today he asked the indoor plants beside moms dinner table if they were going to join us for dinner. We all just smiled and pretended not to notice. Maybe it is Gods way of bringing a moment of humor to a otherwise heartwrenching ordeal.

On a good day, Everyone in my family is well, no illnesses, My daughter has made it another day raising 2 small boys alone, my pal Kathy is at work and not having to deal with her demon "cancer", I didn't work a long day at the office, everyone is happy, James & I rest in the evening snuggled beside one another, and I can smile knowing everyone close to me is safe for one more night.

History of me

Morning Glory!
That was the first phrase I heard most mornings in my young life. Back then it was not a welcome thing to hear especially during my teen age years, the morning after a late night party. Whew... I'd have paid mom to keep the blinds closed and let me sleep half the morning away to recouperate. In our house, what mama did, said or thought was the way it was. Can I hear an amen? Mom has beautiful choir type vocals, so after she would walk into my room, open the blinds and say ever so cheerfully "Morning Glory", she would step into the kitchen (the room directly beside mine!) for coffee and begin to sing, Oooh whaaat a beautifuuuul Mooorning!, Ooh what a beautiful daaaay! It was the source of great irritation to me then. Now it brings a smile to my face.

I was the third and last child in our family, with two older brothers, me being the only girl let me tell you there was favoritism going on in our household. I was and still am "Daddy's little girl". My oldest brother being the first born and six years older than me, never was around much. I don't know where he was now that I think back but I don't remember him being home much. Mom was and still is closer to my second brother than any of us. I truly did have a "Leave it to Beaver" life. We still amazingly live within 20 minutes of one another. So today I have a sort of "Pollyanna" outlook on things. Not to say we have not had our share of unfortunate events however, a charmed life is to date how I would summarize my life, most thankfully!