I know I’m not posting this on a Friday, and usually these posts are meant to be more about pictures than anything else. The last month or so has been a bit different. Dad has come over from Ireland for my brother Patrick’s wedding. He used to live here, which is where he met and married my mother, and also how I came to live in Seattle (my mother and I lived in Olympia when they met). Over the years they separated, and he eventually moved back to Ireland, but comes over about once a year.
Now when he comes over, he stays at my house. Our house is set up for his visits. There’s a room for him (he uses Kyle’s room) and he has “free reign” meaning we don’t put demands on his time. We also have a lot of structure in our house, which helps him greatly. We are aware he needs to lay down twice a day to clear his head (age combined with an aneurism) as well as helping with the planning of what he wants to do and who he wants to visit. These are little things we take for granted, but they become a major deal to him.
He can’t read very much, and not aloud. Not even children’s picture books. That didn’t stop him when Xavier came up to him with one. He sat dutifully pointing out what the pictures were and attempting to string the words together. Xavier sat there, mesmerized.
It’s been a nice visit, and we sat there most nights talking, a few nights we would go out to the pub. Some nights he wasn’t here, he would visit other family members. Those are the times when I would try to catch up on work. Now that he’s not here, I can spend a bit more time on the computer, rather than sitting with dad or attempting to figure out and juggle his schedule. I’m not complaining, but it is a lot of work. Even under the best of circumstances, it’s always nice to get back to “normal”.
My kids are sad to see him gone. I am too. My wife and I are trying to figure out a way for us all to go to Ireland for a visit. The biggest obstacle is the plane fare for all of us. But that a topic for another time.