Remain Calm and Share Your Bananas-Anne Lamott

          I have just recently returned from the hospital circus. My sweet-ish daddy has been in sick, so sick, for going on five or six weeks. Yesterday he was moved into a place of rehab and recovery. He has a long road ahead of him, but like his doctor said, " Mr. Blackman, you have made it to 84 years, why stop now?"
   Friends and family have stepped up to the caregiver plate, with love and hard work. I have tried to remain calm and share my banana!
   I think my primary job was to be with mom, and we enjoyed ourselves. I took over daddy's chair and drove the golf cart without permission! We laughed so hard, without stopping. After last Saturday, and dad calling for Hospice, we were not sure the laughs would come. BUT in our family, we turn everything into something funny. My brothers and I have a wicked sense of humor, with no boundaries. Our goal, is to laugh much more then cry. If you ever see us crying, beware because we are about to make you laugh for hours. When we left the hospital after many difficult hours, I asked my mom, " Are we funny people?" She said, " You and your brothers, are insane!" in my world, that means extremely amusing. We really just try to out do each other, and if you happen to be in the room, sick or not, you will be a part of the circus.
   We turned, bathed him, combed his hair like Elvis, used up all the hospitals germ dispenser soap, found the crushed ice machine, feed him jello, stuck hands in yucky things, invented a new diaper, and listened to his stories that Lewis Carroll may have written! We drove, got nauseated, visited with people, made friends with housekeeping lady, goo-goo eyed a couple of doctors, and texted Emma that she needed to be up here! They were Indian and cute! T said he was member of The SlapAHo Tribe, and I think we were talking about dad's respect for Native Americans! I dropped some jello on dad's gown and he lost it! He hates sticky! I asked him if he wanted me to lick it, and he closed his eyes, and mouth! My feeding duty was over, he hollered, " Where is Mom!"
    Mom you have done everything for this man, I think it was your generation and now he wants us to be like you! We are so not like you mom, and that is OK. We love him to pieces, and expect him to feed himself! When I asked him, if he could feed himself, he said, " Yes, I can, I just don't want to!" Have mercy!
  He still has a private nurse at night to get him a cup of water! Yes, that's my dad, getting better each day.
 I promise to remain calm and share my banana, and Homer stories!
 My brothers and I, are so thankful for our parents, and for all the material they provide!!