A Fork In the Road

When I made my decision my vision became my release......

In October of 2015 I retired from Hunt Oil Company. Hired in 1986 it had become my second home as well as many of my co-workers becoming my extended family. As it has done in the past, the oil & gas industry took a turn for the worse and the company offered a very nice early retirement package to a select group of employees.  About 90 of us "oldsters" qualified for it and I jumped at the opportunity.

Although retirement came 5 or 6 years earlier than Lovey and I planned, what do you do?  
In the midst of deciding how to move forward the future blueprint of our lives quickly unfolded before us; whether we liked it or not.

My question of how will Lovey and I handle being in each other's business 24 -7 flew out the window when we realized there was a bigger issue we were going to have to deal with.

My father-in-law (who turned 98 this past April) still lives on his own in his own house but he now needs some help in order to maintain that lifestyle. Macular degeneration is his largest stumbling block. It has forced him to stop playing golf (which he played three days a week) and driving. It has also made it hard for him to cook for himself. He really needed someone 24-7 to help him.

Once in a vision
I came on some woods
And stood at a fork in the road
My choices were clear
Yet I froze with the fear
Of not knowing which way to go.

One road was simple
Acceptance of life
The other road offered sweet peace
When I made my decision
My vision became my release.

The road Lovey and I were to take was obvious and a no brainer.  It was time for us to leave Fort Worth and return to West Texas and move in with Papa so we could insure he was able to live out what ever time he had left on this earth in his own home and as normal as we could make it.

This is the fork in the road that we chose. And it is our introduction to being caregivers.

So, here I am trying to figure out this new role in life I have been handed. So far it has not been difficult because I adore Papa so taking care of him has not been an issue; it's simply what needs to be done. The hard part is figuring out how to not lose myself in all of this. To maintain a life of my own while giving all I have to someone else.

It's one thirty in the morning and it has begun to storm and the rain is coming down very hard. I think it sad that Papa, lying in his bed, can't hear the rain hit the roof.

Our 4th of July

Lovey and I celebrated the 4th by ourselves this year.  We still made it festive despite not having a big celebration planned with friends and family.

We decorated the front porch with buntings

Put out our flag

Made a little flower arrangement

And brought out the tea towels mother gave us.

We prepared food and ate like we were planning for a crowd to come over.

We feasted on ribs, North Carolina-style pulled pork with NC vinegar sauce, grilled corn on the cob, roasted potatoes, watermelon, peach ice cream, watermelon, watermelon cocktails, and more watermelon.

We watched A Capitol Fourth and the New York City fireworks on TV.

and ended the evening with a lot of fireworks in the neighborhood.  A very good day.  Happy Birthday America!!