The Day the Phone Was Attacked

Remember the coffee maker story?  We went through three of them in one month with Dad.  Well today we say farewell to his cell phone.  Here’s how it went down.

Dad must have dropped the phone or ‘something’ happened and he figured it was broken.  But he took it a few steps further this time which is a little puzzling and, well, frustrating.  It appears he attempted to rip the phone up like he does all of his mail after reading it.  Into little tiny shreds of paper, and then places, doesn't toss it, but places it in to the garbage.  Then he wraps it in a bunch of toilet paper and hides it at the bottom of his trash bin. 

Later that day Dad told a caregiver he can’t find his phone so they helped him look for it.  No luck so they told him that they will let me know.  Meanwhile, Dad hands her the trash like he does every day and they take it for him.   She takes it down stairs and they go through it and they find his phone.  But no battery or back of the phone.  Just the phone, in two pieces, just like you see in the picture.  *Heavy sigh*

I will order Dad a land line phone in his room and start the hunt for an old fashioned, corded, slim line telephone.  If he destroys that then I believe we’ll resort to smoke signals and telegraphs.

On an interesting note, Dad has no idea that he even had a phone and no clue how he talks with people.  He doesn't recall getting visits from me every day or phone calls from family. It’s absolutely heart breaking because on the outside, and in his tone of voice, everything is normal. There’s nothing wrong.  And again I’m reminded, “his reality not ours”.  It’s about what is happening this very moment.  What happened five minutes ago or five months ago doesn't matter.  What the future hold is not important – it’s right this very moment.  Talking with family, with friends and caregivers. That’s important.  Those small moments that never seem to matter to us until now. 

Don’t take the next five minutes for granted.  They will never occur again – ever.  Do as much as you can with right now in spite of the world around you, your circumstances, your demons, or your worries.  It’s about right now.  Now go –--------------- live.