As we looked over the three acres of " treasures" that had been accumulated over the last 60 plus years of Jim's adult life the move seemed daunting. The acreage was filled with miscellaneous objects that represented Jim's ever changing occupations and interests. Tractors, trucks, sailboards, aviation equipment, teepees, sewing machines and tools were some of the objects to be moved.
Jim had said little and seemed to be unresponsive to much of anything at this point. We didn't know if it was due to the shock of watching his wife die, dementia, leaving his aged dog behind or possibily a sugar comia from the great quanities of sugar he consumed daily. Simple decisions seemed an impossibility for him. We decided that we would deal with the "treasures" at a later time.
We had over a thousand miles to travel from the South Eastern corner of Arizonia to the North West corner of Oregon . We worried the toll it would take on Jim. We filled a small trailer with things that we thought would make our home feel more like his home. Then we were off for a three day road trip. Jim submissively followed us and did as asked. He said little and we often wondered if he actutally knew what was happening.
After staying a night in Utah, I hopped in the car behind Jim. He was staring at the mountains. I asked him what he was thinking. He explained that looking at the mountians made him think about the pioneers coming over those mountains tired and not knowing what their future held. With courage they moved forward. In that moment I realized that maybe Jim did understand what was happening and yes,
he was showing courage.
Jim had said little and seemed to be unresponsive to much of anything at this point. We didn't know if it was due to the shock of watching his wife die, dementia, leaving his aged dog behind or possibily a sugar comia from the great quanities of sugar he consumed daily. Simple decisions seemed an impossibility for him. We decided that we would deal with the "treasures" at a later time.
We had over a thousand miles to travel from the South Eastern corner of Arizonia to the North West corner of Oregon . We worried the toll it would take on Jim. We filled a small trailer with things that we thought would make our home feel more like his home. Then we were off for a three day road trip. Jim submissively followed us and did as asked. He said little and we often wondered if he actutally knew what was happening.
After staying a night in Utah, I hopped in the car behind Jim. He was staring at the mountains. I asked him what he was thinking. He explained that looking at the mountians made him think about the pioneers coming over those mountains tired and not knowing what their future held. With courage they moved forward. In that moment I realized that maybe Jim did understand what was happening and yes,
he was showing courage.
This is Kami on Em's computer. I love this so much. Just all of it. Your writing is beautiful, your experiences real and interesting, and you are so respectful of Monte's dad. Keep writing! I'll keep reading! It's always really interesting to step into the mind of someone you really care about. :)
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