Bit of Ivory

My grandfather is dying.

He has Parkinson’s disease, and has been going downhill for years now. Just after Christmas, he took a turn for the worse. Grandma started getting hospice care in. Last Sunday we went for dinner, and I kissed him on the cheek and told him I loved him.

Last night my uncles stayed at my grandparents until well after midnight, and the hospice nurse who came in this morning noticed that his breathing was labored, and predicted that he wouldn’t last long. My aunts and uncles have spent the day up there, and a doctor finally came at 6:30.

Grandpa has pneumonia, and even hospitalizing him won’t help. He’s probably got two or three days.

It’s a blessing for him. He’s so frail. He hasn’t enjoyed life for a long time.

But I’m not nearly ready yet.

And to make it even worse, our parakeet got her beak trimmed last week and has had trouble eating since. Mom took her in to the vet and they wanted to keep her overnight for observation. So I haven’t had a cheerful little presence in the corner to distract me. Just an empty cage and a full mind.

I’ll keep you updated.