A word about Dad...
You'll miss him when he's gone. I know... he's getting up there in years and he's a real challenge these days: Cranky, forgetful, cries at the drop of a hat.
But...
Don't get annoyed when he tells the same story over and over. Yes, I know you've heard the tales so often you can tell them yourself, word for word. Please resist the temptation to finish his sentence and move on to a new topic. He has stopped moving forward. He lives in a moment where all the memories coalesce. For him, it's like watching trailers of his own life and he wants to share them with you while he can.
He's aware that you went to Europe. He was there in the war. He knows you went camping but he can't understand why anyone would voluntarily go on bivouac. He heard you when you said the grandbaby is learning to walk, but that reminds him of when you were learning to walk and he needs to tell you about that before it's lost.
Be glad he's happy to see you.
Be glad he knows your name.
Be glad he can still feed himself.
Is he a little self-absorbed these days? You bet. But he's alive.
He's a repository of stories you'll lose when he's gone. Listen. Ask, even when you know the answer. Just be with him while you still can.
Because he won't be here forever.