What happens now is a lull in phone calls. There’s no firm, “Call on Tuesday by 10:00″ schedule between us, but six days will stretch to eight without Mom or Middle calling. Low dose nervousness ratchets up, so I’ll call, and no one will answer. Those two information points are
OK, so first, this happened at my local park for Easter: In a way, it’s this perfect metaphor for life with my parents these days. A good 80% of my brain occupied with logistics. How is this even happening? Am I somehow misconstruing the weirdness of this situation? How did
We spent Christmas Eve at my parents’ house. Both my sisters, their spouses, and all children. 100% attendance by the DePlume family. It’s the first holiday in memory my mother has commanded our presence rather than request it. “This will probably be the last Christmas,” she added, trailing off. Last
There are moments of silver-lining beauty concerning my Dad’s dementia. Despite the sadness, witnessing it feels heavy and powerful, as if I’m being imparted some dark and secret magic. There is some meaningful purpose to witnessing him as he goes back to the earth, to lose bit by bit, everything
Every time I call my mom these days, she says “Hi, let me put your dad on.” She’s gone in a whisk and a clunk, and I’m on the phone with him. I don’t know if she’s pissed and doesn’t want to talk to me, or if she’s making me