(no subject)

[la_belle_laide]

I wanna tell you something funny about my Dad.

When things look really bleak, my Dad tries so hard to be comforting by way of turning philosophical in his own particular way. I can just about recite the things he says. The thing is that it always does cheer me up, and today on the way home from dropping Haku off, I nearly had to laugh. Even though one would think that what he's saying is really depressing.

When things like this happen, and everyone is assuming the worst (and indeed, the worst looks more and more plausible,) this is the speech that my Dad gives, paraphrased:

"You know, no matter what happens, you gotta understand that you're doing your best. And that (whoever is the subject of worry) had a good life, and part of that is because of you (or Mom, or whoever else is involved.) And I know it feels really bad and everyone's going to cry if the worst should happen, so you cry and then you get over it, because what can you do? You have to get on with your life. Everybody has to go sometime. And when you're crying, it's not for (whoever,) it's because of you, not having them around anymore."

(And here's where my Dad's own brand of philosophy comes in.)

"I mean, look at these two women a few years ago, right? There they were, walking down the street, when a drunk driver jumps the curb and his car pins them to a brick wall, and they're both dead. Or that poor girl, who was walking downt he street selling girl scout cookies, and a brick falls on her head. These things just happen! So you have to live your life. Because you never know. You never, ever know."

They all end just like that: "You never, ever know."

"Cheer up. You could die." Still, when you're right, you're right.

An update on Gran:

She has a massive infection, electrolytes all messed up and some other systemic problems. They think that if they can clear up the infections, then she can regain some of her speech and recognition. So, that is one good thing! However, she is also in congestive heart failure. This can be controlled with diuretics, however the use of diuretics will also screw up her already screwed up electrolytes, so that's going to be difficult to figure out.

Also, they think she does have Alzheimer's, too.

Still. I will be happy with some improvement. She'll be in the hospital for the rest of the week, however.

Comments

[spatterdash.livejournal.com]

My favorite one, my dad likes to tell about his friend Bill who passed away a few years ago from cancer. I guess you have to understand my dad's morbid sense of humor (which Bill had, too), but he always tells it in this really exaggerated hillbilly accent, and it goes like this:

"Take Bill f'rinstance, professor at the you-nee-versity, wife and kids, drank-eem some Drambuie, caught the brain tumors an' DIED. YOU NEVER EVER KNOW."

I think it's the utter randomness of inserting the fact that Bill liked Drambuie that kills me every time, as if that somehow led to brain tumors.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is an awesome cautionary tale.

My Dad tells one about himself as a child, and a broken Christmas tree ornament. "It went into my foot and traveled up my blood stream. They had to cut me open in twenty different places while they chased it around, BEFORE IT GOT TO MY HEART."

For years I was terrified of glass ornaments. Christmas can kill you.