That's Papa's Cake

As I chronicle this time in our lives, I have to be honest and include the bad along with the good. This is life and this is the way it works...Good and bad...Full of lessons and laughter and tears. I started to keep this blog to share with Greta what my life was like raising her through a time she won't remember...As well as Jack. I always wanted to know what my mom thought of it all when I was so little. I keep writing about what a blur this is and how I am trying so hard to cherish each moment. And there are some moments that I wish I could delete. One being that my dad is sick.

Presently he is in the hospital due to an overlooked UTI that went septic. He has been there a week and will be there until he has enough strength and control to move his legs again, as my mom can not carry him and their house has lots of stairs. We are living this a day at a time and are thankful that he is in no pain. His Parkinson's Disease is progressing and he is trying to be strong...All of us are. Even little Greta.

We went to visit Papa at the hospital yesterday and Greta was pleasant about it. She said, "Papa is sick and in the hospital and we will go and make him feel better." I agreed with her and we even stopped and picked out a DQ Blizzard to cheer him up and ruin his appetite for that delicious hospital food. Greta brought flowers for him. Jack was along for the ride and, as I later found out, was thrilled with the long hallways that called his name and beckoned him to run/walk/crawl down them with glee.

Papa was in bed and was reading. He smiled immediately when he saw us peek through the door. Greta and Papa have a quiet understanding. She takes to him with love and compassion and I have always felt that she knows he loves her so much even though he can't say it or can't hold her or play with her very well. One of her first words was Papa, after all.

She wanted to sit on the bed with him. Papa made a spot for her right by his side. She gave him the tightest hug and said, "Papa, this hug will make you feel better." She did this all on her own, no coaching from me. And, she did make him feel better. She made me feel better, too. So, from there we left Papa to take a nap and went to Gee's house to play for a bit and look at Gee's treasures (she is a master junker and can find the most incredible collectibles).

And, again on our way home, we stopped to see Papa and have dinner with him. They brought meatloaf and mashed potatoes and gravy and carrots and a thick, dark chocolate cake with icing and pecans. Papa was eating well and Greta was watching and asking all sorts of questions about his IV and the bed that moved up and down...oh, yes...Jack found the controls to move the bed and Papa was bracing himself and his dinner! Up, down, up down...legs up, down up down. It was pretty funny. Papa was distracted and Gee went for his cake with a fork and took a bite. She then got a bite and started to offer it to Greta, who reached out her arm and pointed at Gee. Greta frowned her eyebrows and she said, "No, no no no, that is Papa's cake, Gee!" We were all shocked to hear this come out of a two year old...Turning down cake? Chocolate cake?
Greta really does want Papa to feel better. She knows just what he needs...long hugs and chocolate iced cake with pecans.

Those seem like such little things. But, I think that they will start to add up and make a big difference.