The Surprise Visit

It was still dark when I pulled away from my driveway last Saturday morning. The early morning sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon displaying shades of reds and pinks that radiated through a thickening band of clouds. Soon the clouds won out and a light sprinkle of rain dotted my windshield. Still, I knew it was going to be a good trip, one that was long in coming. 

A few hours later I arrived at my sister's house in Chesterfield, near Richmond. After a much needed 'potty break' and a refill of coffee, my brother-in-law loaded up my sister's belongings into my car and we were off. The drive down to North Carolina provided my sister and me an opportunity to catch up on what's been happening in our respective lives and I was grateful for her company. The trip can otherwise be monotonous and tiring.

When we were about an hour away from our destination - the nursing and rehabilitation center where my step-father had been admitted the day before - we phoned my brother asking him to find out if our mom was at the facility or perhaps at  home. My brother duly played spy for us and soon reported back that Mom was still with our step-dad. I had already plugged the address into my GPS, so off we drove as giddy as two school girls.

We arrived at the nursing home to find Mom sitting in a chair beside Ern's bed, newspaper in hand, working the daily crossword puzzle and he just beginning to doze off. Mom gazed up at us and nearly fell over!

"Oh, Papa, look who came to see you!"

Opening his eyes, he was quite surprised to see us grinning at him. He hugged us both and kept telling us how much he appreciated our visit. He also asked all about our families, what we've been up to lately and if we had a good drive down. His eyes were bright, his smile enchanting and he looked so wonderful to me. For all he's been through since last fall, I couldn't believe how well he appeared sitting up in that hospital bed, squished into his end of the small room that he shares with another patient.

He's hoping for a new room. A room with a window and a view of the outdoors. He really is an outdoor guy. He grew up in the rural South Carolina countryside and has been an avid gardener his whole life. You should see his magnificent gardens displaying an array of many types of flowers and other plants. Just beautiful! I hope he gets that window and I hope the nursing staff is able to take him outside every now and again. He was joking that if he does get outside, due to significant weight loss, they may have to tie him to a tree to keep him from flying away in the breeze! He weighs a mere 109 pounds.

Over the course of the following two days my sister and I, as well as our other sister and brother, were able to visit briefly with Ern each day. He made certain that we knew how much he loved us and considered us his own flesh and blood even though we're only steps (and didn't enter his life until we were all adults). He told us that when he married our mother he also gained seven children in addition to his own daughter. "What a bargain!" I quipped. He also made sure we knew that we were entirely and utterly blessed to have such a wonderful mother. Of course, we already knew that and have known it all our lives.

Early Tuesday morning my sister and I packed up again and left for home. I dropped her off around noon and headed back to my husband, my kids and my dog and cat; back to my life in northern Virginia. The sun was shining bright and the sky a crisp, clear Carolina blue as I pulled up my driveway. I smiled, forever grateful for having made the trip and knowing that life is good indeed.