The tale of 2 weekends

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way...

The past 2 weekends were a real contrast. During the 1st weekend we drove down to NJ to celebrate my parents 50th wedding anniversary. The actual date was in June but the family was not all able to gather then. So we set aside a weekend in August when we could all be together. My parents from NJ. My brother and family from MA. My sister and family from CA. And my family from NS. We are all spread out so far so it was a real treat to be together and to celebrate the life and marriage of my parents.

I know what a blessing it is to have the love and encouragement my parents have always provided. I know how unusual it is to have my parents together and healthy. And oh so active. Altho I think the youngest grandchild gives them a run for their money. He is active with a capital "A'. But so cute!!!!!




David and Herlinda providing some laughs.



The girl cousins having some quality girl talk.



The 2 big boy cousins going crazy and burning off some energy.

We partied and celebrated and I think we ate the entire weekend. It was wonderful. Wonderful memories. A special time together.

Contrast that to this past weekend. In the spring, Robin's mother was diagnosed with dementia. The family knew some tough decisions were going to have to be made, but then in July she ended up in the hospital while her mental condition rapidly worsened.

So this past weekend we drove to St. John and along with another brother, we packed up her apartment. We loaded up a trailer yet still left quite a bit behind. She will now be living in a facility that specializes in residents with Alzheimers or dementia. She will be going from complete independence to a lock down floor.

After the packing we went into see her and both of us were thinking, "She looks great!" She really did. And we both started questioning the decision. She sounded fantastic...until the confusion started. Moments of clarity laced with complete absurdity. And when we went out to eat, we could see the panic and frustration when the waitress was talking to her. There were other signs too, that she is no longer able to function on her own. And for now, she accepts that. At this point she is embracing the change. And she will be moving to Halifax when the assessment is done.

That will be a huge change for our family. Even though she won't be living with us, we will be responsible for her care. We will have to establish new routines; ones that include looking in on her daily and taking care of basic needs that up until now, she has managed alone.

So today we are thankful for our families. We are thankful for the heritage and the Godly example they have given us.