What a gorgeous essay. This is just what I needed to read this morning as I look for ways to bond with my own aging father. Recently, we have been connecting over football (of all things, because I've never liked it!). Thank you for helping me to see the beauty of this connection in new ways, David. I will carry the image of you and your father in that space, connected by words, the sound of turning pages. May there be many more books in your shared future...
Lovely, David. I've been sending of recordings to my mom. She lives with Parkinson's in Los Gatos. I live with great books and articles near by bedside, which I can record and send to her to hear at her own leisure. Like you, it is a way to be with my aging parent. Books and words equal love. Continued shared wordy blessings to you and your dad. Heidi (in Halifax, NS)
I thought of my own father as I read this. He's 89, and unfortunately, he has macular degeneration. One of the things he loved was reading and working with his hands. He's nearly blind now, and can do neither, really, in the ways that he wanted to be able to. I think he could have coped much more easily with aging if he did not have macular degeneration. He does listen to books on tape via Wolner Library's books for the visually impaired. That's been a God send, even though the libraries have books on tape. When the libraries were closed for Covid, Wolner still sent books on tape through the mail. My dad's hearing is not so good, either, but we can talk about some books and some programs he listens to on TV. Believe it or not, he does see well enough to take a walk around the block every day. I hope to have him with me for a few more years. He's beaten the odds in so many other ways.
I loved this. You brought back memories of reading in the evenings with my father and mother. I wasn't very old, maybe twelve or thirteen, and I often interrupted the quiet by reading aloud something I was loving in my book, whatever it was. They tolerated it gracefully. Many years later, my father told me they had been afraid that I had no sense of humor until those evenings, and were greatly relieved.
David, I enjoyed your story very much. It reminds me of similar stories I have in my head that have not yet been written. I was my mother's caretaker for 15-years, a time I will cherish forever. You have inspired me. Thank you.
Beautiful piece. I am wondering how your father would respond to audio books? Many readers do not thing they are equal to actual reading text on the page, but considering his restrictions, is it an option for you?
Beautiful story. You too know your way around language.
What a gorgeous essay. This is just what I needed to read this morning as I look for ways to bond with my own aging father. Recently, we have been connecting over football (of all things, because I've never liked it!). Thank you for helping me to see the beauty of this connection in new ways, David. I will carry the image of you and your father in that space, connected by words, the sound of turning pages. May there be many more books in your shared future...
Lovely, David. I've been sending of recordings to my mom. She lives with Parkinson's in Los Gatos. I live with great books and articles near by bedside, which I can record and send to her to hear at her own leisure. Like you, it is a way to be with my aging parent. Books and words equal love. Continued shared wordy blessings to you and your dad. Heidi (in Halifax, NS)
I thought of my own father as I read this. He's 89, and unfortunately, he has macular degeneration. One of the things he loved was reading and working with his hands. He's nearly blind now, and can do neither, really, in the ways that he wanted to be able to. I think he could have coped much more easily with aging if he did not have macular degeneration. He does listen to books on tape via Wolner Library's books for the visually impaired. That's been a God send, even though the libraries have books on tape. When the libraries were closed for Covid, Wolner still sent books on tape through the mail. My dad's hearing is not so good, either, but we can talk about some books and some programs he listens to on TV. Believe it or not, he does see well enough to take a walk around the block every day. I hope to have him with me for a few more years. He's beaten the odds in so many other ways.
I loved this. You brought back memories of reading in the evenings with my father and mother. I wasn't very old, maybe twelve or thirteen, and I often interrupted the quiet by reading aloud something I was loving in my book, whatever it was. They tolerated it gracefully. Many years later, my father told me they had been afraid that I had no sense of humor until those evenings, and were greatly relieved.
David, I enjoyed your story very much. It reminds me of similar stories I have in my head that have not yet been written. I was my mother's caretaker for 15-years, a time I will cherish forever. You have inspired me. Thank you.
Very glad to read this for all kinds of reasons.
Beautiful piece. I am wondering how your father would respond to audio books? Many readers do not thing they are equal to actual reading text on the page, but considering his restrictions, is it an option for you?