Dad's wisdom

Post-coma and not quite ready for re-hab, my Dad was getting ready to get the breathing tube out of his neck along with all other tubes, lines, IV's, bells, whistles and what nots out.  (Okay, that list was a bit redundant but if you'd have seen all they had him hooked up to and into, you would think my list was too short!)  Once they plugged off the tube in his neck he was able to speak and we were real excited about that!  It was fun to receive the pearls of wisdom he had to offer.  He was spitting those pearls out like crazy back then, and I was almost convinced he had come back to us as Ghandi. :) However, not believing in reincarnation, I knew he was same old Dad, with a more protruding philosophical side than I had known before. 

I told him "Dad we've got to work hard and make some progress to get you out of here." His reply: "I am NOT into making progress.  I'm into kicking butt!"  Another day we were talking to each other about Chuck Norris.  Let's just say we're fans.  Big time.  Thanks goodness we brought him up because out of that conversation a new favorite Dad line was born.  "I've got to get top notch and ready to kill!"

Speaking of injuring and all that, as Michelle and I were growing up, we had a lot of role playing with that kicking, wounding stuff.  My Dad would often say to us "Show me how you would hit some guy who tried to grab you" and we would show him.  Michelle and her notorious arm strength (her secret is spinach mixed with ice cream) let him have it whenever he said that.  Christmas 2007 he was doing a run through on that again.  After one punch he had a nice bruise  the size of Rhode Island and I believe that was the last time they role played the punching stuff.  

He also told us during that hospital time that we needed to take our service opportunities and accelerate them.  I remember hearing that and thinking that was great advice at any time.  To take the opportunities we have and do more with them.  I was inspired by that and I am still trying to live by those words a little better.  I have always loved my Dad and listening to what he has to say.  He truly has the ability to see things clearly, as they really are, I think.  Although his ability to express himself and those things has gone from high to low, I always enjoy hearing what he has to say and learning from him.  He has always been an excellent Dad!