On Speaking Terms

Dearest Rachel –

It would seem that this morning, my mother – who had gone home last night to actually sleep in her own bed, at the urging of pretty much everyone except possibly Dad himself – got a call at about seven in the morning, after sleeping for some ten hours straight. It was from the hospital, and she braced herself for the worst. The voice on the other end of the line, however, was almost the last one she expected to hear.

“Good morning, sweetheart! The doctor will be seeing me at nine, and I told them I wanted you to be here, so they gave me the phone to call you. I love you!”

At least, that’s how the story was related to me, and I’m in no position to contest it. Particularly since, when I got there this morning, he was just about as articulate as the story claimed him to be. Oh, he still sounds like he’s snacking on the odd cotton ball or some such, but it’s more than just the occasionally decipherable plea for “wah-er” (water) or “Ayov-oo” (I love you). He can speak in full sentences, and articulate how he’s feeling and what he needs. To be sure, this means he has a few more complaints about the former and demands regarding the latter, but given that he’s confined to a hospital bed (and has been since Friday), that’s certainly understandable. The fact that he’s talking at all when, barely two days ago, we thought we were about to have to say goodbye to him forever, is a massive step in the right direction.

I say this after what I considered to be an awkward moment yesterday; a visitor praying over Dad all but said that God had a reason for him to stay here and would bring him back to health. It always worries me when people insist that, as I still remember Petra and us high school kids praying for her on the day that, as it turned out, she passed away. We can’t be making demands of God like that. Yes, He can do anything, and perhaps we can persuade Him to do what we want, but whatever He’s purposed to do, He’s going to do, and nothing we say truly changes that. And since we can’t claim to control Him and His decisions, we also can’t claim certainty of knowing what His plan is, either. To say God will bring Dad back from the brink while he’s still teetering there, while a morale boost for him, doesn’t necessarily speak the truth.

However, anything along those lines that I would have said would have been pointless and counterproductive. And, judging from how he is today, incorrect. Our visitor was right on the money. Sure, he’s not fully back – Mom spoke of the nurses wanting him to try to sit up in his bed, and that wasn’t happening – but considering where we were only two days ago, I can’t argue with his progress. It’s like Lars has told me so many times; things will go forward and back from time to time, what matters is how they’re trending. And for now, the trend is looking favorable.

So I guess he won’t be checking in with you and the others quite yet. You can still make sure his mansion is ready, if you like, but for now, he’s going to do what he can to improve down here. So keep an eye on him, honey, and wish him luck. If anyone needs it, it’s him.