Keeping Watch

January 15th

I arrived in Oakland and my sister picked me up at the airport and took me to my parent’s home. My dad looks worse than I thought he would. My mom has been trying to prepare me for this moment but how do you really prepare someone to see their parent dying.

I put on a smile and tried to sound happy and went in to give my dad a hug and kiss. He knew who I was and tried to talk me into getting him out of his hospital bed. They man who could do anything while I was growing up was now confined to a bed and could barely move.

He sleeps most of the time so visiting with him is done minutes at a time. I kiss him on the forehead and smooth his hair back then slip quietly out of the room so that he can rest. A tear slips down my face as reality finally sinks in.

My mother sits in a rocking chair keeping watch; ready to jump up at any little sound my dad makes to care for him.