It's amazing sometimes what a photo or a few photos can do a person and the memories they trigger both happy and sad. This particular post was inspired by the photo below that my sister gave to me last week.
This photo of myself with my Dad and Mom was taken around three and a half years ago at the wedding reception for my wife and I. Our whole family with all their children was there for our wedding celebration. And my sister came all the way from from Thailand. She is my only sister and I couldn't ask for a better sister than her. We didn't fully know it then but the normality of life as we then knew it was swiftly coming to an end.
At that time we already knew that Mom had Alzheimers and was having some memory problems. But she could still take care of the house, make meals, and have meaningful conversations. And she could still appreciate and enjoy our wedding. But soon after that her abilities rapidly declined. Today she needs total care and she isn't capable of holding a conversation. Yet she is still special; she is my Mom whom I love and who my whole family loves. As for my dad as many of my readers already know, he was diagnosed with cancer a year ago from last fall and passed away the beginning of March this year. But we have many good memories and that is what I want to continue to share in the rest of this post.
Dad always loved dogs. Over the years,
he had a variety of Collies, Beagles, and mixed breeds.
He enjoyed snow and trying out a mini-bike
that one of my brothers bought.
He enjoyed games and celebrations. Here he and Mom are passing
a breath mint from one mouth-held toothpick to the other.
King of the Mountain after coming home from church
Dad enjoyed gardening each summer. Here he is with
some extra tall sunflowers and I think squash.
He enjoyed reading the newspapers to keep up with both local and world news.
Here he and Mom are browsing hymn books
possibly in preparation for singing in a quartet.
And here is Dad on his 65th birthday.
And here is a dogwood in memory of my Dad
