Thursday - Day 6 in Alabama...and the first day of 2009

Our last day here :(
David's sister, Sandy spent the night with us... we enjoyed a visit with her while sharing a nice breakfast and enjoying a leisurely morning .. . Laura Leigh and Barb were both "off" today.... While Barb and her dad took a walk...I removed all the ornaments from the Christmas tree...
We then went to the Veterans Home to visit David's dad, Mr. Gentle.

What can I say about this????? Three years ago he had a stroke that has slowly taken away his ability to stand or walk... caused his memory to fade...and now, due to diabetes and bed sores that won't heal, he has lost both his legs.
I can say "Thank you God for people who administer care to someone who is suffering..thank you God for drugs that ward off pain...thank you God that he has a place like this where he can be watched over, cared for, and not alone. Thank you God that he has a family who show him love. spend time with him and bring their little ones for visits...some of whom he has no memory of but is always happy to see. Thank you God that he knows you and will spend eternity in heaven reunited with his wife."
I can also regret that he has to go through this and wonder why? Tennyson reminds us that "ours is not to reason why, ours is but to do and die" ...and Solomon tells us that "The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all."
Time and chance has come to PawPaw.
God bless you, Mr. Gentle
March 2005
Tonight our company consisted of two of the girls who work for Barbara...Judy and Maggie, her husband and little boy...along with the Watson's (LL, Jason and the boys)and the younger Gentle family (Ben, Mamas and little David). I napped while LL and Barb prepared supper which included blackeyed peas for the New Year.