How's Norm Cook, Shelly's Dad?

As we mentioned in our December news, Dad joined us for the holidays and stayed two months.  It was good to have him here.  He bravely faced the challenge of going up and down our stairs to his room each day.  At nearly 91 that's a real feat! We took him back to Oregon the end of January.

Dad and great grand daughter, Yael

Dad is still in his home, just as he wishes!  He has a housemate who is a young man he mentored when Dad was teaching at Multnomah University.  He also has a several caregivers who come for four hours each day.  We feel they are angels.  Meals-on-Wheels provides him with a daily meal too! Milei (my younger sister) and I are so grateful for all the ways Dad is being cared for! People stop by and visit, at a distance, on the front porch or back deck.  He loves getting phone calls too.

Milei and I, along with our husbands, had planned to be with him for his 91st birthday, April 17.   Since that was not possible, we put out the word.  Those who could not drive by and greet him for his  birthday in person sent pictures from all over holding up signs with birthday wishes (see Carl and Jamie's picture in the post titled: What's Happening with Carl, Jamie and Yael?  What About Culver?)  The morning of Dad's birthday, I uploaded them all to his digital frame and called him.  As Dad watched the pictures rolling by on his frame, we talked about each one and the love that they have for him. 

Those who COULD visit locally began arriving around 1 pm.  In the goodness of God, the weather was lovely and he was able to sit on his porch and receive greetings.  The visits went on all afternoon!  (Some dear friends made the nearly 6 hour round trip to stand in the driveway to celebrate him!) Although we could not be there, Milei and I were delighted and blessed by the outpouring of love and respect for our Daddy.

This picture of Dad (in his bathrobe) captures a classic image from our growing up years.  Daddy, reading his Bible. He continues that daily discipline.  He spends a good bit of his day reading (especially now that he's confined to his home because of the Corona Virus).  He's always been a voracious reader and never had enough time.  That's changed!  

A highlight of the lock down for Milei and me has been a daily three-way Zoom call with Dad to read and study Scripture together.  We spend nearly an hour late each afternoon, reading the Bible, commenting and praying together.  Sometimes we recount Mom stories and laugh and cry.  It's been an enormous encouragement for all of us! We've read all the Epistles, and are working our way through the gospels-currently, in Luke.  During the two years before our mother died, Milei and I met weekly over the phone with Mom going through her Bible page by page.  That mentoring time was sacred to us and now we're building those memories with Dad.  We make notes in our Bibles about Dad's observations, side by side with those of Mom's!  

Health-wise Dad seems to be holding his own, although he'd like to have more energy.  He sleeps and eats well.  He continues to grieve deeply over Mom's absence, but he often thanks God for sparing her the grief and heartache of the challenges that so many that she loved are facing especially during this Spring.