Family Fun

Despite showing my face in photos, and tempting your ears with an occasional audio post (I really should do another one soon), I've pretty much left a lot of personal details out of this blog. Even using a pseudonym, I feel naked and exposed.

Well, got ready for some pornographic material. I'm about to start divulging personal information.

Sort of.

Had a good time at the family reunion. It was largely a bust - just one aunt (and spouse), two uncles (and spouses), one grandmother and two distant cousins showed up. But my sister and brothers were there with their respective spouses, and there were four kids under the age of ten running around, so I got to play lots of catch with velcro mitts and balls. The bocce balls made an appearance but as soon as we saw them being used as weapons instead of toys (my cousin is going to grow up to be an ax murderer, we're almost certain) we put them away.

Stopped and saw my friend Michelle on the way to the reunion and on the way back as well. I won't go into details there, because that's her personal information, but suffice it to say that she is dealing with monumental work and family issues and somehow, she's still standing. I marvel at her. I'd be a freakin' basket case if I had her problems.

And now I'm back and since I'm living with Rich for the rest of the summer, his problems are now my problems. Do you know anything about dementia and Alzheimer's? Do you know how to deal with a parent who is delusional? Who calls you twenty times (I kid you not) in one day? Who can't remember that he's already called you? Or that you stopped by to check on him just a half hour ago?

Welcome to Rich's world.

I don't know how to help him. I've asked and he tells me that there is nothing I can do. I just listen. That's all I can do. I'm tempted to start a different blog charting and detailing all the symptoms - the repeated calls, the foul language (so disconcerting to hear an elderly man repeatedly use the word "fuck"), the outlandish stories and questions. But I don't think I can. Because he's not my father and it's just not my place.

And that's all I have to say about that.

File This Under: Family Fun