And So It Goes.

Sometime yesterday morning:

Caller: Hello, may I please speak to Jill?

Jill: (thinking: hmmm...I've heard this voice before) This is Jill.

Caller: Hi Jill, this is Mary call from Assisted Care Facility. How are you?

Jill: (blood has suddenly turned cold, the heart is feeling squeezed.) I'm fine is everything OK?

Caller: Well, yes, everything is OK. I just wanted to let you know that we found your father on the bathroom floor last night. He seemed to be OK. Angie helped him up and got him back to bed. He said that his legs were very tired and he just went down.

Dad appears to be OK although he can't walk for more than a few yards. After 50 phone calls between him, me and my sister, we outvoted him 5:1 to go to the hospital for assessment. He refused.

So this got us thinking. Husband and I made the call today. We have asked Dad to move in with us. We will modify the basement (it's finished and he'll have about 1,200 square feet) to create a private bedroom/bath suite, and we'll install one of those stair lifts to help him up and down. He can go out most any (non-snowing) day for his regular (Rascal) jaunts to KFC, Walgreens and Target. We can play canasta and chess on a regular basis. And I'll be able to keep a closer eye on him.

Husband is incredibly supportive of the idea, in fact, he is the one who mentioned it again this morning. After all that he did to help me with my mom before she passed away, I am awestruck at his continued generosity of spirit. Truth be told, he genuinely loves my Dad.

And so do I.

(Shaking head) Never, ever in my life did I think that I would invite and want my parents to live with us. But something inside of me has changed forever and I want him here with us.

Dad has promised to consider the offer. My hope is that he accepts.