I had a vision of Dad a couple weeks ago.  That is, I suddenly became aware of  an image of Dad standing in front of "the light."  And I knew then that he was waiting there for me, and presumable for my whole family.  This happened during the day, while I was getting in or out of the car.  That night I dreamed about him.  He was standing near me, I went over, told him I loved him, and hugged him.  He hugged me back and told me, "Always remember to do this.  Take my word for it."

My Dad died last week.  It sounds so strange... even surreal...  My Dad died...  I have many moments when I get a feeling of unreality.  Dying is not something that my Dad does, so it doesn't make sense to me that he's done it now.  Not that it was something he did.  A disease called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis killed him.  It's a lung disease that is still a mystery to the doctors and researchers, though it kills as many people in the U.S. each year as breast cancer.  Usually a person declines over the course of several years, but sometimes it progresses quickly, like with Dad, though even his doctor was shocked.  He'd had a bad cough last winter and into the spring.  In June he was diagnosed and put on oxygen right away.  He was able to go dancing, just a little bit, a week before he died.  Wednesday he went into the hospital.  Thursday his doctor felt he was doing better.  But Friday his breathing got worse until it just stopped late that night.  I'm really glad I was able to be with him and I hope that my actions and words gave him some comfort.
 Life will never "get back to normal,"  because he isn't here.  So I guess my family and I just have to get used to living with a sense of wrongness.  Often when I think of him being gone I get this feeling like, "that can't be right."
He was very good at giving advice and helping solve a problem... I won't be able to get his help again.  I will never be able to sit with him, watch TV, and help with his crossword puzzle.  He wanted me to make plum jam this year...  And what will Thanksgiving be like without his quiet presence?

We've planned a service to honor him this Saturday, the 13th at 2 p.m. at Forest Lawn Funeral Home in west Seattle
For more information of this awful disease   http://www.pulmonaryfibrosis.org/

Social Politics in 2012

I used to think that mudslinging referred to politicians making extraordinary accusations about their adversaries in order to sway public opinion.  Now I'm wondering how long we, the People, have been participating in this ill-conceived strategy.  Emails and postings on social networks that are political in nature and unapologetically  libelous make inflammatory accusations about public officials, but without any proof or source of information whatsoever.  We see this from both sides of the political arena, posted not by candidates this time, but by everyday citizens.  I choose to believe these citizens misguidedly think  that they are informing their friends and associates of  important facts about the politicians which make them unacceptable to serve in the office for which they have been nominated.  The alternative is unconscionable: that they do it just to get people worked up about some apparently detestable action.  Unsubstantiated rumors and innuendos  have done as much to divide our People as the events of  9/11, maybe more, since they have come from within our ranks.  
The greatest part of our system of government is our Freedom.  One of which is the freedom to speak out, make our opinions known, and try to sway others to see our perspective.  Most of us would agree that the media has been abusing their freedom of press for years... decades:  sensationalizing events to a point beyond exaggerating, allowing private interests to dictate whether certain things can be published or not.  Why?  Money.  Or the love of money.   Make the news horrendous, appalling, outrageous; never mind the truth as long as we get the readers- subscriptions!  advertisers!  sales! 
So when did the average Joe start imitating the media?  And why would anyone aspire to be like them anyway???   A person can speak out, and protest, and debate without flinging insults and accusations, can't they?   Have we lost all respect for anyone who doesn't believe the same things we do?  And if so, how can we get that back?  I once heard someone say that there's always time for courtesy.  I think there's also time for kindness and respect.   Is that really too much to ask?