You should have seen my face when the nurse told me I had to go home with a catheter. I was less than cheerful. Yet, I obeyed, because what choice did I really have?
Last week’s hysterectomy was a smashing success, minus the bag of my own urine I have had to carry around for the last five days.
God always seems ... Read More
Left or right, Dad? Left. Up or down? Down.
The ornaments were laid out on the tray table in front of my father. As I picked each one up, I’d ask him where we should put it.
This is the first tree my dad and I have decorated together in at least 25 years. I was 21 and he was 58. Both ... Read More
I’ve talked a lot about my mom over the last ten years. The falling apart and the coming together and what God can do to mend fences, and the way he changes my rotten wood attitude before he hammers in that first nail.
This weekend, I got to visit my dad.
Five years ago, my dad had a stroke that left him ... Read More
Before my dad had a stroke, he loved verbally jousting. Politics and policies and people, my dad had an opinion and he enjoyed hearing what other people thought about those subjects too. It was like his own version of sudoko, it kept him mentally sharp.
One day, shortly after I had rediscovered a relationship with God, my dad hit me ... Read More
Over the years, Saul and I have added to our family. First it was a dog (RIP Robby Dog Phillips). Then it was our three biological children. Then it was another dog (Dakota is currently sleeping next to me in my office). Then it was two precious boys, the same age as our middle son, Charlie. One of the boys ... Read More
I went to visit my father recently. He had a stroke about 9 months ago and is now a permanent resident in an assisted living facility. He hasn’t yet regained the use of the right side of his body, so he relies heavily on my step-mom and his nurses to tend to his every need.
Every several months I have the ... Read More
I took a knee next to my father’s wheelchair. “Dad, I’m heading to the airport now. I’ll be back in a few months. Anything else you need to tell me?”
My dad had a stroke last June and last week I was able to make my third trip back to Wisconsin to see him.
Each time I go, there are big improvements. ... Read More
I’ve entered an alternate reality. I’m supposed to be surrounded by children right now, warm sunlight on my face, as the smell of hamburgers wafts from the grill nearby. That’s what summertime is about.
Instead, I’m surrounded by old people, under the cold glow of florescent nursing home lights, with a mixture of chemical cleaners and bodily fluids assulting my senses.
It’s ... Read More
What a difference a week makes. Last Thursday, I was on the 35th floor of One World Trade in New York City, feeling on top of the world.
Thanks to my 12 year old daughter’s fundraising efforts, Jordan and I were invited to speak at the Susan G. Komen Partner Summit. She got a standing ovation before she even opened her ... Read More
My dad and I got into a loud disagreement when I went to see him last week. I’d call it a fight, but knowing my dad, he would say it was more of a passionate discussion.
He wasn’t feeling well and (in my opinion) was a little crabby. I was sore and tired from a 10 hour car ride with three ... Read More
