Dad in Hospice
May 1st, 2008 - 09:55 AM
My dad is in Hospice at this writing, he is in AZ, me in Mich. My sister Meg is in FL, my sister Jill is in Grand Rapids, Michigan. My brother Mark is in Oregon. My nephew Aaron is in Hawaii. My stepbrother David is in California, stepsister Emily is in Scottsdale, AZ. My brother Jeff is in FL, Orlando, working for Disney.
I really am not that much affected yet by this, I guess because I am far away and only talked to dad about once every 2 weeks, I just don't feel much. Probably will when I get to AZ.
I did phone many prayer chains and churches.
My prayer is that I would function normally through this. That my dad would live another month (full of cancer, Dr. says), he has esophageal cancer and cardiac issues. Dad smoked a great deal for 45 years. He's been sober for 30 years.
Both my brothers and both my sisters are sober, though one sister has a drink now and then, she is not addicted to drink. She is very functional.
I do go to a 12 step support group, Al-Anon, and I manage my feelings with the slogans and readings.
Heres one I learned in Al-Anon: "Forgiveness is giving up the hope of a better past"
and "Resentment is like me taking poison hoping you will die". Isn't that great stuff?
so my whole fam damily is into 12 step support groups in our various venues where we live and work. My one brother in Oregon, Mark, is a full-time professional gambler and travels in an RV.
My sister Jill is into Social work and does a great job going all over Michigan and fixing the programs that help DD kids and adults (developmentally disabled, probably better known as retarded, but Jill does not allow us to use that word. I guess the word for DD this year is "consumer", so Jill is somewhat of a "consumer advocate", but not like Ralph Nader. I don't know who to compare her to, except maybe a protestant, white, middle-class, partially college educated mother Theresa who uses strong language to get things done if it needs to be done. She drives to Bay City, to GR, to Three Rivers, every week, back and forth in her Forrester which is about 4 years old, no payments, and about 270,000 miles on the thing. Jill has a boat in St. Joe County on the St. Joe River in T.R., a nice hometown I'd like to settle in if I could only find work there. It's country and the work is seasonal. There is also an Amish labor force to contend with in the Three Rivers/Centreville, Mendon area of Michigan. The Amish work without benefits and are a very hard-working and reliable class of people. So if I was to get a job in Three Rivers, it'd probably be doctor's office or Hospital.
American Axle has been on strike for 2 months in Three Rivers and as you all know, GM has just about been crippled the last 2 months from the strikes in Michigan by the UAW.
Mother's day is coming up and I got my sister an entertainment coupon book for Kalamazoo, thinking she can use the coupons in the St. Joe and Kalamazoo area.
I might get an Allegan supplement for her.
Last night I signed up with PrimeAmerica to become a licensed investment counselor and insurance broker, in state of MI and Ind, will be going to a seminar in mid-May to learn how to become licensed to do investment brokering and counseling families with their Finances. They DO encourage tithing.
Blog: #10 of 15 by Valerie Norberry
Comments
05/01/2008
10:52 AM
Berkeley Heights, NJ
My prayer for you is that you find what you need, emotionally and physically.