Dear Diary, tonight are the Oscars and all the females of our living lineage are gathering for a “no boys allowed” Academy Award Party. This was an opportunity for the men of the line to have their own party. So I took my dad & son out to dinner.

My dad stays at an Adult family home and looks forward to going out to eat. I am sure every aging parent has their own disabilities, my dad has had multiple strokes that affects his memory and mobility.

An interesting dynamic happens in your 50’s for most of us. If your parents are still alive, you find yourself taking care of them, life comes full circle. Raising kids and taking care of parents at the same time, we are what they call “in-betweeners”.

The true blessing is, he still has his amazing sense of humor. The best part is he has no filter. I am not sure if its memory and he thinks no one is in the room or at his age he just doesn’t give a crap what anyone thinks.

While we waited for my son to show up, dad & I had time to kick into small chat. Our conversation went like this;

Me: How you been?

Dad: Busy

Me: Doing what?

Dad: Waking up

Me: Lol, Sounds like a lot of work

Dad: It’s not too bad, it can be fun

Me: Lol, what part?

Dad: My sponge bath, don’t tell your mother.

Me: LOL

My son soon shows up for his free meal at the restaurant. PaPa, as he’s known to all his grandkids gets a huge smile on his face when he sees my son walks in. My dad leans over to me and says; he misses his grandkids. I said I will remind them to come visit you. He says: tell them to come after my sponge bath.

As my son sat there eating his Chicken Marsala, I could only wonder if one day he would be picking me up from the nursing home and taking me to dinners. I also was hoping I would be reflecting on my morning sponge baths.