Today I wanted to make a special note to say SUPER-DUPER THANK-YOU for everyone who has stopped to take a moment and pray for the process of Dad’s speedy recovery. Thanks for the hugs, meals, random distractions, calls, e-mails, text messages, letters, and postcards. These acts and words have helped bolster ours and Dad’s spirits through this journey. Thank you!

Dad had some very special little visitors yesterday. Riley (5) and Corban (3), finally were able to come and hold dad’s hand. Corban, a little bothered with how Grampa looked in his fashionable hospital gown, was cautious to approach the bed where Grampa was resting. Corban clung on to me, yet wanted to see Grampa up close. While I was answering Corban’s questions about Grampa’s owies, he broke into a little song of “I Love You Grampa.” You could see the smile slowly spread across and take over Dad’s face. As we left Grampa’s room, Corban also insisted on saying “amens” for Grampa. “And God, I just bless you to help Grampa feel better,” he said before he skipped away to draw a picture for Grampa of a rocket ship. A little while later Riley was taken aback as she first saw Grampa. Just at the moment, Grampa is not the infallible pusher of swings and mender of broken things. “He is tired and working on feeling better,” I told Riley. Not wanting to be too close to this overwhelming change, she was happy to draw some pictures of Grampa flying in the sky with an airplane and clouds in the background as I visited with Dad. Riley slowly crept closer until she was in my lap. You could see the joy on Dad’s face as Riley’s fingers wiggled in her Grampa’s hand. I overheard one of Dad’s care team saying, “now that’s the best medicine we can get.”

This morning Dad kept asking me where Riley and that nice little boy were. His brain gets things a bit muddled these days. His care team says it will take a while for that to fully resolve. In the meantime, we will continue to reintroduce Dad to his grandkids and watch his face light up at their songs and snuggles.