Smiling, I posed for a picture with my great-granddad. Actually, I’m was posing for a picture with a picture of my great-granddad. We were traveling from Altus, OK., to Lubbock, TX. Two dear, long-time family friends, Anne and Caitee Boxeur, had graciously agreed to help move my mom to a smaller unit in her retirement …
Five sat at the table, including me. The other four, including my mom, were residents in the retirement center’s assisted living section. It was Mom’s first meal in her new environment, having moved the day before from her independent living unit, where she and Dad had been before his death, to a much smaller room …
“Whatcha preaching on?” That’s how my dad would answer the phone for years when I would call him on Sunday mornings. We talked each day, early in the morning, just for a few moments. There is something about talking to Dad, whether it’s small talk, “just checking in,” or something more pressing, like “Is it …