550 - Taking time for loved ones.

At the age of 90, my dad called me to say that he had cancer and they wanted him to have radiation.

His reaction to that was, "I'm 90, radiation could kill me!"

He paused a moment and chuckled, then continued, "I'm 90, a COLD could kill me! I don't want to do any of that. I just want to have fun".

FUN was my cue to move to Texas. Mind you, it would be 90 year old fun.

The word FUN means something in my family, and we had a lot of it.

I am so grateful that I can do business anywhere in the US and Canada.

Within 3 months, I had moved from Michigan to Texas, where I spent the next 8 months making sure my father had fun everyday.

I had visited Kerrville, Texas many times over the years, but this was the first time I had ever lived there.

Several mornings each week, we would go to The Donut Palace to spend time with his good ol' boy buddies.

His buddies consisted of a judge, a pastor, several retired town council members and others.

When my dad couldn't get around anymore, we would still drive to the bank, dry cleaners, his financial advisor, the post and other places.

When he could no longer walk so I always took a picture of him smiling his big cheesy grin.

After showing it to all the people he normally dealt with, I'd take a picture of them smiling and waving back at him.

He would laugh and tell me a few stories about everyone. Of course, he would repeat himself but it was always fun to listen again.

The final week of his life, he was still proposing to the hospice nurses who came to administer morphine. Even through the pain, he had fun and made people smile.

After dad passed, I had to go to probate court. I showed up at the courthouse and met with my dad's attorney.

What happened in probate court showed me how small this town really is.

As we approached the judge's bench, the judge leaned forward motioning for me to come closer so he could ask me a question.

I stepped up to the bench and he asked me, "Do you still go to Donut Palace?"

We had a good laugh over that and I knew my dad would have loved it!

As my father said, "I lived a good life. I just want to have fun", and we did.

The end of life is too precious and meaningful to ignore.

I will always be grateful that I made the move to Texas. Seeing that big cheesy grin made it worth it every time he did it.

Have you ever made a sudden life change to care for a loved one?