Keepin' On

I see from the most recent blog date that it has been a couple of weeks since I shared anything about Dad. There hasn't been a lot to say. The evidence of his decline is just pretty much there every day. That he can't grasp the details of a conversation most of the time is a common event. The other night my son, son-in-law and myself were discussing taking part in a triathlon. After we had talked about it for a few minutes Dad broke in and said, "When I was in the war in France I never had to walk." Yes, it was a random statement. There isn't much walking in triathlons. We all stopped and looked at him to see if he had something else to say, but he didn't say another word. Everyone went back to their conversations. He looked crestfallen so I assumed he had more to say. I stopped everyone and we all looked at Dad and he looked back and said nothing. We all went back to our conversations again. He looked more crestfallen. Finally he said, "If no one is going to listen to me then I am going to my room," and he did. That is pretty much the way that life goes. He has very little comprehension of what is going on. He can't take cues, like everyone looking at him and waiting for him to speak. It means nothing to him. Most of the time he dwells in a state of confusion. The upside is that he is still going to the adult care center daily without complaint. Thus is life with Dad.