Family Love

Well, it's been a rough go of it but Dad is finally home after a week in the hospital. He's already showing signs of improvement...eating better, sleeping restfully, just being home makes such a difference. We're still having his 83rd bday party on Saturday. He loves parties...especially when they're for him!

The kids were able to spend time w/him at the hospital. My wonderful family, my sisters and brother and Lauren, God bless them, all took turns staying with him 24/7. They made a schedule and without pressuring anyone, asked if they could help out. Everyone did. Faith, hope and charity, and the greatest of these is charity. My family certainly did that. And it's not new. When Josh had to be admitted to the hospital a year ago, my whole family was there at some time or another to visit with him. Nando called him several times to talk and cheer him up. Conchis and Kristy were there the first day, driving up after a long hard day at work. All those visits, calls, thoughts and prayers meant so much to Josh it nearly brought him to tears thinking of the time they spent just for him. It meant the world to Dan and me too. But it was not a surprise for me because that's how my family is...generous, loving, giving.

People are somewhat surprised when they find out my father was never alone in that hospital room. They say what a wonderful family I have to go through such sacrifices. I don't know if that's how my family thinks though. We do it because it's the right thing to do, an act of love, from the heart, not from some rule book that says we must. If we had left the job up to the nurses we know they wouldn't have taken care of him like we could. They have other patients, paperwork, stuff to deal with. We have our father. No one else, and nothing else...just him. And I think the nurses appreciated us being there. It was one less patient they had to hover over, or secondguess what he was trying to say. We were always there to interpret his broken English, his Spanish, or his nonsense.

The kids discovered what it is to care for the elderly, for the sick and for their family. Each one (except Paul) lent a hand at some point and I am so happy for that. They need to see what it is like to grow old, and that is our duty to help those who are in need, regardless of relations or age. Their experience with their grandpa brought them closer to him and their love for him only grew. I didn't force any of them to take care of him. I simply asked, and they wanted to help. It's no surprise. They learned it from my family.