i spent a lot of time with dad over the past few days.  He, Paula and I drove to Teresa’s grandpas funeral in New Mexico.  The drive was nice, barring the rain, fog and blizzard like snow.  Dad shared some wisdom with us, stories from his past and a bit of frustration/anger.  I don’t know why he’s so mad.  Everything angers him.  I sometimes wonder if the anger is from greif over mom…but I don’t think so.  I think he’s always been a ‘glass half empty, or not even half…I bet it’s two thirds and some silly son of a so-and-so is trying to convince him it’s actually half!…instead of half full sort of guy.

When pressed, he would comment on the beauty of the scenery.  So he CAN see good.

I would hate to live like this.  I asked him yesterday – when he starting cussing about traffic, construction on the road and then doctors-why he was so mad at everything.  He had no answer.  We were sitting at a red light and he told me he was going to run it, “these lights are the stupidest things, I don’t know who set these, somebody’s making money off of this and I don’t understand it…” 

I tried to stop him, “Dad!!!  You can’t do this, you’re breaking the law!” 

“I’ve been around awhile! Don’t you worry about me, I can see when it’s safe to go!” And go he did.  Grumbling and cussing the whole time.  Speeding up a bit to beat the cars coming our way, you know the ones that had the green light.  Jerks!

Why is he so angry?  Certainly can’t be because he was stopped at a red light.  We were in no hurry.  Was it that red light telling him what to do?  Heaven forbid anyone or THiNG tell him what he can and can’t do!  No red light is going to stop him!!!

Lord, give me patience, I think I’m going to need it.

  

We, my sister Paula, daughter Aimie, and I, started a blog after mom died entitled mydadiscrazierthanyourdad.wordpress.com
Not that we think he’s crazy, ummmm well….anyway it was meant as a way for his kids and grand kids (me, since I’m the only one posting) to share “funny, annoying, frustrating” things about dad with each other.  Personally, it helps me to get it written down, read it back, then have a bit of compassion for the old crazy one. 
This post should be on that blog, but maybe they’ve merged in my head (crazy dad, good fight of faith-seem to go together) so they’ll merge in the blogosphere.
“These kids is gonna have bad eyes and cavities from these ipads!”  He’s now convinced that Blake’s recent visit to the dentist revealed cavities from ipad usage.  He swears he saw it on the news.  It has nothing to do with the fact that dad gives Blake cookies and ice cream after every meal. Breakfast and lunch dessert at G-Pa’s house! Not cavity forming.  Video games are the culprit.

Stopped by dad’s house on way to work, dropped off some leftovers, listened to Him recite his morning routine, went to work.
Driving home from work, phone rings, it’s Him;
“Well where the hell have you been? Where are you now?!” He sounds rather agitated.
“I was at work today, I’m driving home now.”
He laughs, “Oh. Well let me tell you a funny story about my day.”
He proceeds to tell me detail upon detail of his day. 
One of those details, “I tested my oxygen today and it said 76 or 79…I think it’s broken.  I’ll test one of the boys tomorrow and see what they read, maybe I need batteries.”
How do you convince that man to wear oxygen?
Maybe if his oxygen levels were normal he’d remember I work.

Bob saw the bone marrow transplant doc and kidney doc last month, both tell him that he is great…No sign of disease.  Very good news.  Bob has been attending mid week service at church, and had a revelation last week.  “Kim, I’m healed.  I need to
start living like I’m healed!”
And he has been living lately.  Working on the basement remodel, socializing more, and just being more alive. 
Now that he’s decided that he’s not sick, maybe it’s time to change our prayer requests; instead of praying for healing I think we should pray for renewed youth.  Why not? Didn’t Moses keep his natural forces his entire life? (that sounds like a good thing), and Abraham have a son very late in life?  Why can’t Bob, healed Bob, have a renewed youth?
I think that’s what I’ll hope and pray for.