Spitting Revisited

After being pretty good for a week, Dad started spitting again yesterday. Mom tried to shame him into stopping by asking him what his mother would have said if he had spit on the floor at her house. He said, "She wouldn't like it." At least he knew it wasn't appropriate. However, he spent the rest of the day mourning his mother. She's been dead 40 years.

At least Dad remembered his mother was dead. Just the other night, he was talking about his mother.

"I haven't seen my mother in a long time. I think she still lives in Dallas. I wish I could go to Dallas to see my mother. She likes to live in Dallas. She has lived in Dallas most of her life. If I had a car, I could drive to Dallas to see my mother. I think my mother would like to see me. It's been a long time since I have seen my mother." and on and on and on.

I felt bad breaking the news to him that his mother was dead. I told him that she died 40 years ago in 1964. He responded, "She must have died young because I'm not very old." I reminded him that she was 82 years old when she died and that he is currently 87. He practiced that information over and over adding, "My mother is dead. I'm never going to see her again because she is dead. She's been dead 40 years. I guess that's why I haven't seen her in a long time."