"You Sure Are Nice"

June 28, 2008

Dear Family,

Happy Saturday! I hope everyone had a great week. Things are good here in Snowflake. Aunt Julie and her family are here, and we are having a great time visiting. It is really being good for dad. I haven't seen him doing so well in months. His color is great, he is much stronger, and his mind is clearing. He still struggles to remember many things, but he seems to be understanding what is happening right now most of the time, and remembering for longer periods.

It's hard to know if this means dad is getting better, or if he is just doing better for a short time and will go backwards again. Still, it's wonderful he is doing so well right now, especially while Julie is here.

Mom is a rock, like always. She is so positive and strong. She told us yesterday about something that happened Thursday morning. At first she was a little hesitant to even tell us, she doesn't want to make light of dad's disabilities, but she also needs to be able to see the humorous side of this disease or it would drown her.

“I was helping dad get ready in the morning,” she told us. “He has trouble remembering how to shave, or for that matter, how to put on his shoes. He will sit on his stool and just look at the socks he is holding until I finally help him.”

“Anyway, dad must have been feeling pretty good, because after I helped him brush his teeth and fix his hair, he turned to me and said, 'you sure are nice.'”

“I told him thank you, then he said, 'I sure do like you.  Maybe we should get married.”

“Well, I didn't know what to say to that for a second.  I was kind of taken back, you know. Finally, I smiled and told dad that we already are married. He looked at me for a minute, then said, 'Oh. How does Eleanor feel about that?'”

(Remember, Eleanor is mom's name.)

“I didn't know whether I should laugh or cry,” mom told us with a little, forlorn laugh, “but in the end I decided I'd better laugh.”

I think she was right.

We sure do love them both, and all of you. Have a great weekend.

Love, Aunt Gale