Where there is life, there is hope

Such is the saying and today I feel that there is an element of truth in that saying...even for a haggered old sceptic like me!

After a game of charades, in which I was reluctantly participating... going to Dad's and him not answering the door, checking his front window and him not being evident. Me thunked "He must be round the shops". So I headed round the shops. Dr J's Mum was coming out of the grocer's so I asked if he was in there, she said "No, but I think I have seen him in the chemist's". So I went into the chemist's and saw who I thought was Dad at the counter. In typical style I said "Hi there, Dad" (not quietly either). Everyone turned round, including the man who was not my Dad. Oops! Backed, shamefaced, out of the door and that was when I decided to ring Dad from my mobile. Took him a while to answer. He had been in the shower.

All this came to pass because Dad had said he was going round the shops earlier and because he overdid it on the sleeping tablets (night before), he never got there. Stating the blindingly obvious, I should have rung him before I left mine..to check on things.

Anyway, in one way it was a positive that I rung when I did because he needed some food, so I went home and got a goody bag before heading back to his.

The usual set up (when I get to his) is that I am walking on egg shells, trying not to say anything that might trigger an upset and after an hour we are both exhausted and I head off deflated. Today was different. He was making jokes. In his words "Sometimes the only thing to do is find humour". I can dig that. We had always been able to spark off each other when it comes to taking the mickey out of life and ourselves and so I was relieved that we were doing something that led somewhere other than distress.

I spent over 3 hours with him and I enjoyed it. We ate our way through a box of mince pies, made headway into some chocolate covered rum soaked raisins and spoke affectionately about things we did with Mum. He even told me a story about how they had got caught in a rainstorm on the way to a guest house and Mum was getting all spooked out but in spite of that she insisted on finding a place to have a fish and chip supper.

Now, this shift may not last but I was chuffed when he said that he had enjoyed my company and although in the past, and because of his states, he couldn't cope with seeing me for very long that he now wants to spend more time with me. As ever, I was cautious and said that all being well I could come along New Year's Day and spend as much time with him then.

I am very much standing by what I said to him on Christmas Day and that is "Let us take this one day at a time" and hoping that one day at a time we can become close again and give comfort to each other as well as take the pxss.

One small step for Dad and one big sigh of relief from Mandkind.