Page 12 - Growing Old Without a Plan for Long Term Care is not for Sissies_Neat

iv Growing Old Without a Plan for Long Term Care is not for Sissies of that, they can more easily appreciate all that he has, rather than lamenting over what he has not. Perhaps there are times, just maybe, that they see him more clearly than we, his own family do. And what they see most clearly is his smile. When his caregiv- ers talk to us about Dad the frst thing they mention is his smile; a smile that conveys so many things. It tells them he is happy to see them. Or that he appreciates what they do for him. His sly smile lets them know that yes, he understands he is supposed to call them before attempting to get out of his chair to go to the bathroom but he is likely to try to do it himself anyway. Perhaps his sad smile sends the most important message. It says that he doesn’t want to die, but he is ready. He is ready to say goodbye to this world and be welcomed into the next where God will provide him with a new body…a body that will never fail him. Yes, he’s ready, but he hates to leave the rest of us behind, even though he knows he will see us again. Dad is smiling into a sunset that is much too rapidly approaching. When that fnal sunset arrives, I will miss him greatly. I’m sure that those of us who love him will share some tears, but I know we will share a few smiles too. Smiles formed by the remembrance of the man we loved and in anticipation of the joy we will experience when we see him again. And when we do see him again? Now that will be a smile! Jim Cates