Monday, May 9, 2011

A Good Company

Last week, I wrote about how I would be seeing my grandpa last weekend & I really hoped that he would know who I was & be able to talk so that we could understand him.

My wish was granted.

Last summer, Granddad became kind of violent because of the Alzheimer's & he was kicked out of the nursing home he was in only a mile from our house. I'm thankful for last summer, the whole 3 months we had with him close by where we could see him every day, but I'm so sad that those days are long gone.

The closest place that would take him is 2 hours away from us & it's pretty grungy. 

Everyone there is pretty much unconscious or has completely lost their minds so not only is it sad to go there, but Granddad doesn't have any friends. Although sadly, he fits into that group pretty well most of the time now.

My mom tries to go see him almost every weekend despite the fact that it takes up almost a whole day because we know if the nurses know we come often, they'll take better care of him & we don't ever want him to feel like we don't care.

Two weekends ago when my mom & uncle were there, they were sitting at a table with him & another man & apparently the other man thinks Granddad is his dad. 

My uncle asked my mom for a paper & a pen & wrote, "this guy thinks dad is his father". 

My mom shook her head knowingly.

But then, Granddad reached out his hand asking to see the paper. 

My mom handed it to him & plain as day, my mom said, he looked at the paper and said, "this guy thinks dad is his father. Why did he write that?"

My mom explained to him that the guy does think he's his father & he kind of laughed & shrugged his shoulders.

After Granddad had the paper, he wanted to see the pen & he started writing. My mom said he kind of scribbled a little bit and then all of the sudden he wrote:

HOME

My mom said she just lost it. 

We didn't know he could still read let alone write. 

Plus, how do you explain to someone in that state that you want nothing more than to take them home but it's impossible? you can't.

Anyway, when we were packing up to go to the nursing home last weekend, my mom found a notebook from the company she works at & the one he worked at for 40 years too & she stuck a pen in it. 

She wanted to take it to him so he could practice writing.

I was the first one through the door at the nursing home and when I saw him I smiled really big because oh my gosh, I can't even tell you how much I love that guy & he smiled right back. 

I think he knew me.

We sat for a while and then mom gave him the notebook and pen. 

I wrote some things & he read them & then he started writing. 

Some things he wrote weren't legible but one thing was: "a good company". 

That company was his livelihood for so many years & he remembers it & can write about it.

Granddad still toddled around in his wheelchair occasionally not wanting to cooperate with us, he still mummbled some & then got frustrated when we couldn't understand him but at this point, we're thankful for any little bit of Granddad we see in that big, old body of his. 

Last weekend, we saw a lot of him & I'm thankful. 

My heart just swells up with love for him.






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1 comment:

Cameron said...

I'm so glad you got to have such a great visit with him! That's so exciting!

Miss you more than you know!!