Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2006. That day my parents and I took Mattie to the Reston Zoo. Ironically this Zoo is now very close to my home. But back then we were living in Washington, DC and coming to Reston felt like a journey to the country! Mattie absolutely loved that Zoo. It was small, very hands on and designed perfectly for little ones! As you can see Mattie went for a pony ride. He loved it, was fascinated by animals, and appreciated adventure!
Quote of the day: There is meaning in every journey that is unknown to the traveler. ~ Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Thankfully I was able to stabilize my dad last evening. Recap, he came home from his memory care center on Friday afternoon vomiting. He apparently swallowed food too quickly at lunch and some of it was aspirated into his lungs. I am working hard on keeping my dad out of the ER and the hospital, because with each admission, there is further decline in his cognition.
When my parents first moved in with us in 2021, for some reason I thought my mom was going to help with my dad's care and be more self-sufficient than she is. I quickly learned that wasn't in the cards and I assure you this was a sobering reality for me. Caring for my parents is a privilege but it is also all consuming, as they need around the clock support. In the beginning I was angry, agitated, and upset with how I was unable to do anything other than their care. I literally mean I gave up everything..... meeting friends, walking, having professional in-person meetings, etc! But with time, I grew accustomed to this pace and the tasks, mainly because I knew this chapter in my life would not last forever. I would then have more freedom to pursue other things. But that was when I was married and I saw the possibility of a future. With my divorce, my vision for a future has ended. In so many ways, it doesn't matter what my day looks like.... quarantined at home, countless bathroom accidents, multiple loads of laundry, working around the clock, you get the picture, I can see nothing past my current state.
With caregiving it is impossible to make plans. Which is why I don't make them. Case in point, imagine if I had planned something on Friday evening? It never would have happened because I was caring for my dad who was a mess and needed constant observation, as his doctor said depending on the vomiting, I would potentially have to take my dad to the ER.
Today I did some Foundation work and took my parents out for lunch. When I got home, all the new plants needed water. I am still in the process of planting things I purchased on Friday.
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