Always Thankful!

God is so good to us, you know it?! I will admit I was afraid on Thanksgiving day, but God has shown me to put my complete trust in Him.

We all gradually got up around 9am Thursday morning. We had stayed up the night before playing more board games. Boy do we have a good time playing games!! The game of choice that night was Scrabble....parents vs. kids....hehe hubby and I won!! I'm not boasting mind you, just letting y'all know who won, that's all ;o) Anywho, back to the story...my hubby enjoys cooking and to tell you the truth we all prefer it when he does so because his food is yummerlicious! He made a buffet of breakfast foods for all of us. We felt like we were eating at Denny's only ten times better.

After I ate I gave mom a quick call to see how dad was doing. She said he was having a bad day. He wasn't responding to her in any way. I guess the day before he had told her he didn't feel right in his head. What that means I really don't know or understand, but for him to complain about something must have meant he was feeling horrible. I asked her when she wanted us to come over and she said to wait until the afternoon. So we got out the Scrabble board once again and played a game or two, but I had a hard time concentrating for wanting to be with my dad.

We all took our showers and headed over to my folks to spend the rest of the day with them. My mom asked if we cared if she left for just a little bit to go to Wal-mart and get out of the house. Of course we didn't mind one single bit. The poor lady never has a moment to herself and rarely gets the rest she needs. She does have someone that comes everyday from 9-5 to help her, but it just isn't the same. She is the one who knows dads every need and his schedule, etc. She is so patient with him and loves him so much! It is so difficult to take care of him, but she is determined not to put him in a nursing home. I agree with her and we help as much as we can too, but it is basically up to her.

Again, I am getting off track, aren't I? So we get to there house and I walk out to see dad and can tell right away he just doesn't feel well. We all say hello and give him kisses on his forehead...nothing....I rub his arm and let him know I am there....still nothing. I am usually the one that can get him to laughing and even trying to be silly so I am quite worried about him. Mom assures me that he'll be okay, she just thinks he feels so bad he just doesn't want to try and visit. I tell her to go ahead and go shopping and we'll sit with dad. My hubby and I tell him what's going on in the world...we focused on all the positive and didn't tell him anything negative.

I wondered myself if maybe he was depressed that day. He has every right to feel down. Last Thanksgiving was his last one to get out his bed and even eat a few bites of real food. I didn't try to be funny or bring up anything that might cause him to be more depressed (if that's what it was). I gently rubbed his arm and then his leg for a little while. I know he must ache something awful sitting in that bed in pretty much the same position. He has so many bed sores that mom has to be careful how much she moves him because the sores rip open. Just writing this makes my eyes fill up with huge tears and a huge lump in my throat. Now I understand how painful it was for him to watch me suffer as a child. As a child I tried not to show how much pain I was in because the look they got in their eyes was sometimes more painful than the arthritis itself. I love my dad so much and I want him here forever because I am selfish and I still need him no matter if he can speak to me or not. But on the other hand I don't want him to continue suffering. I know he is saved and when he does pass away he will go to Heaven and have a new perfect body free from this nasty Parkinson's disease!!! PTL!!

I have learned that being a parent can be rough. I never knew how hard it would be to be a child of a sick parent. But I am thankful to God for this opportunity to learn to lean on Him more and trust in Him. He does know what's best for us and He has a plan for all of us. Even my dad.

My dad spent all day Friday, Friday night and most of today sleeping. I wondered if he would ever wake up. My mom said she felt better with him sleeping and thought maybe by the time he woke up the feeling in his head would be gone. Sure enough he woke up late this afternoon and was alert and told her he was hungry and that his head felt better!!!!!! I wasn't able to go tonight because I was in the grocery store, but after church tomorrow you can guess where I'll be going! I just pray that tonight he is still able to sleep and feel even better tomorrow!

I am a daddy's girl that's for sure! I love you, Dad! You are my precious little daddy!