Kissy-Face Seaweed

So my dying sponsor is 82 years old.  He seems to be getting younger based on his marvelous attitude - he doesn't act someone who is dying.  He always ends our conversations by saying that he loves me.  I have always known this to be true even though those exact words have rarely passed his lips.  We are guys, after all, and both of German heritage to boot - we're not exactly the kissy-face type.

Actually, that's not true - I am a bit of the kissy-face type.

It is a joy and a privilege to talk to him.  I always feel better, energized, more optimistic after I hang up.  Going out with a smile on your face is quite the party trick.

My father is 86 years old.  He is approaching his end submerged in bottles of cheap vodka - plastic bottles, for chrissake.  I have talked to him in the last year for approximately 17 minutes.  He does not answer the phone when I call and he does not return my phone calls.  He tells my mother to tell me that he loves me, and I know this to be a fact.

I caught up with my mom today who apparently had been in the hospital the past 3 days.  Too much of an effort for my dad to call and tell me, I guess.

How about that?  How about that, anyway?  Isn't that amazing?  What a Program we've got and what a way to learn how to deal with the stuff that life throws at us, especially with family.