Followers

The Twilight Years Are Here

The Twilight Years Are Here

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Memory of 9/11

September 11, 2011

It’s getting so much harder lately. We can count on daily delusions, only the subject matter and duration vary. Dad is entirely too aware of his own confusion and disorientation, making it that much harder to deal with. How do you convince someone they aren’t going crazy when in essence they are?

We spent the morning together, mostly talking about 9/11. He knew exactly what the date meant and was sharp in his memories of the events of that day 10 years ago. He can’t tell you when his wife died (April 2010) or how many of his children are alive (3 out of 5) or which ones of his children have died (Melinda & Susan) or what he ate for dinner last night or what he did 2 minutes ago… but he remembers the Attack on the USA. He is disgusted we are still at war.

Several times he has stated today, “WWII was a real war! We went in, kicked ass and got out of there. I just don’t understand why this war isn’t over. It’s ridiculous!” And, “What are we going to do about that president of ours? This is a sad day and our country is in a very sad place as a whole. I’m sorry I lived to see this.”

I went out on the front porch when he decided to read the morning paper. When I came in 15 minutes later he asked if I knew it was Sept 11th. I said I did and he asked if I had slept well. In his mind the day was just starting. 20 minutes later, he asked Richard if I was “alright” because he hadn’t seen me yet today.

I am thankful we had a morning of clarity and that he shared that time with me. But it makes me sad that it is a memory for me alone. The days of shared memories is gone now for Dad… along with so, so much more.

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