On Monday and Tuesday, I was back with Rink and Marita. Marita is beginning to shut down, eating less, less able to communicate, hearing and sight going. The home hospice folks are excellent, especially Sherry, the nurse, who brings a sense of love, focus, humor, activity along with her knowledge of palliative medicines. Rink is the moral compass he always was when we lived down the street in University Park. He is caring, loving, strong, ready to learn what to do in the next step of care.
Also he maintains such an open and welcoming household for the tens of friends, neighbors, co-workers, soccer team members, and family who come to help, to visit, to bring food (check out the refrigerator), to say hello, to say goodbye. Dan came on Tuesday, his regular day, and so I left earlier than usual. But people come all day long...which you can see on http://maketheladyhappy.blogspot.com.
Rink's openness is a gift...Marita's presence in the community is a gift...they have always been so much a part of our family's life. And now they have given us so much more.
