Update on Dad

David and Amy were here this weekend. They were surprised at dad's condition. At first, I was surprised at their surprise. I guess being here everyday and being around most every moment, has made the change gradual for me and less dramatic. I am overwhelming grateful to have the privilege of being here with mom and dad, for both mom's sake, dad's sake and my own. I would not change this opportunity for the world. I wanted to share dad's condition with you, if you don't mind. If I were not here, I would want to know.
Dad is getting weaker. He becomes quite exhausted with any sort of movement and is sleeping more and more and more. It is getting harder to wake him for his medication. All but the time release morphine in liquid form now and it has helped with the coughing fits. Those coughing fits hurt him the most, so we are all very grateful. We have quite the little routine now, Mom, JoAnne and I and, unsurprisingly, mom does it best. Sometimes I hesitate to tell dad what he needs to do, I mean, he is my dad. It has always been the other way around. Mom has no such hesitations and that is better for him in the end as she orders him to swallow correctly, so he won't cough, or to stop playing with his oxygen tube or to leave the breathing treatment mask on, because it is not finished yet. He trusts her and obeys.
Mom, I think, is doing as well as can be expected. She is sleeping two out of every three nights now, with JoAnne or I taking the other two nights. (p.s.- Thanks to everyone else who took those nights while you were here, especially Brad who took that extra night when we were all sick with the flu.) Mom, who did not (thank goodness) get the flu, has instead been battling a cold, but is doing much better. You know colds- that stupid runny nose hangs on forever. The rest of us are walking on egg shells that we don't catch it also.
Dad still knows who we all are when he is awake enough to notice but he often talks to many others we don't see. A couple of days ago he was talking with Grandpa Tobler and yesterday, while JoAnne and mom were talking, he shook a finger toward them and said clearly, "There was a presence here and we should not talk." They stopped talking. This morning, he told mom there were many great men and women around that she could not see. I believe the veil is growing thin for him. His spirit is being prepared as his body grows weaker. Thank goodness for the plan of salvation and my testimony of it. I hope I can be sensitive to the feelings and impressions around me. I feel so blessed to be here.
We talked today, mom and Kaylene and I about what to expect when dad actually passes. I am glad we can talk frankly about it. I makes me feel safer when contemplating the event. And it will be an event, will it not. Birth and death, the greatest events of our lives.