I'm back

(Originally published August 31, 2008)

I know I've not been the most consistent blogger in the world, particularly the past month or so. But I have a reason. Really.

My father died a week ago today after a long battle with Parkinson's disease. Over the past six years, I've come to see what a truly hideous disease this is. It robs a person not only of his mobility, but also of his dignity -- and the whole time, the person knows exactly what's going on. This summer, my dad's last, was especially harrowing as he struggled through two bouts of pneumonia. He survived the first, but not the second.

Allie and my dad developed a special relationship. Whenever she and I visited my parents, Allie would make it a point to spend time with Dad, gently soliciting attention from him and sometimes simply lying at his feet. I'll be going back up to my parents' house soon to bring my mother back here for a visit with me and with a friend in South Carolina. Allie will be coming with me, and I wonder if she'll notice that my dad is no longer there.