Live in the Moment

We all could learn this lesson from dogs or any other animal for that matter. Animals live in the moment. What happened two minutes ago is forgotten and they don't know what ``future'' means. I went home over the weekend to visit my parents. As you know from my past posts, my mom has dementia and Alzheimers to the point that most of the time she doesn't recognize her own children, but she knows Groucho! She had a very good day on Saturday. My youngest brother David came by with three of my nieces and the family entertained my mom for about an hour after dinner. She was all lit up like a Christmas Tree! Dave had brought one of his brothers-in-law to meet Dad, so the girls entertained Nanna. I am so glad Dave and his family have moved back home. Now all four of us are together again it makes this awful disease of my mother's much easier to bear. Last week she had apparently gotten out of the house and fell on the gravel drive next to the neighbors' house. Dad neglected to tell me during any of the times that I called. Peter had to call and tell me. He also said he has been trying to talk with Dad as she is getting to the point where he cannot take care of her and she needs 24 hr. care and social activities which she is definitely not getting at home. He simply refuses to have her go to a nursing home. I again spoke with him about it and he said that he thinks I don't understand the situation. I told him I think he's afraid to put her in a home as he thinks he'll be next. He denied it, but I know I hit the mark because he said he plans to die at home. The lesson today is ``Live in the moment'' because on Sunday Dave's family and I had a campfire at the lake and the two neighbor kids, Maddy and her 4 yr. old brother Jimmy joined us. The kids all roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and everyone had a great time, even Groucho, who was busy eating everything that dropped on the ground. My Dad even came down and joined in. Dave told Jimmy that Dad is a leprechaun and Jimmy asked him point blank if he was one! It was so cute! Moments like these are what makes everything that is difficult in life worth going through. The little Jimmys with marshmallow from head to toe asking Dad if he was a leprechaun!