Chasing One Last Rocket Launch with My Dad
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As I slowed to a walk, I was a bit more out of breath than I might’ve expected after a very short jog.
There was no two ways about it, I needed to get in better shape if I was going to be able to keep up with my dad and his walker.
Of course, this little jog was a bit unexpected so maybe my sudden fatigue was a result of my body not receiving adequate notice that its services were needed. And it was late afternoon in late July in central Florida, so the sun was hot and it felt like I was sucking in warm soup with each breath rather than air.
My dad was on the move again. There was a rocket launch scheduled for 6:24, so he slipped out of his bedroom, out the front door, down the driveway, and around the corner before anyone noticed. When I located him after a few minutes of frantic searching, he was halfway down the next street over. Pushing his gray, four-wheeled walker. Moving quickly, if erratically, at a stumbling and lurching jog.
I chased him down. Stopped a few paces to his right toward the middle of the vacant street, took a few deep breaths, and gave a little wave in his direction.
“Hey there,” I said.
I never knew exactly how to strike up a conversation in these situations. It’s a pretty unique social scenario. What is one supposed to say when chasing down one’s father who has Parkinson’s and shouldn’t be roaming the neighborhood alone?
You can read the rest of this story about my dad, a rocket launch, and the value of never giving up in the Washington Post by clicking this link.
I haven’t actually addressed my dad's death on this blog, but I guess I am now. He passed away in mid-December and the best way I can explain it is that it's been a weird month. You kind of think you know how you'll react when something like this happens, but the truth is you really don't know. The feelings are way more complicated (and yes, ambiguous) than I ever expected. More on that later, perhaps.
But for now, I'm proud of how this piece turned out and I'm glad it found a good home. I think dad would be proud.
And it's fitting that it was published just after the family gathered to share our memories of him in one of his favorite places in the world: Winston-Salem, North Carolina. And more specifically, the field house at the Wake Forest University football stadium. Wake Forest sports was one of the great loves of my dad's life. And he would've loved this picture of my kids (above) at the place he loved, there to celebrate him...
If you love this post, I have some good news. My book, Fatherhood: Dispatches From the Early Years, is available at Amazon. And if you haven’t, don’t forget to like my Facebook page and sign up for the email list to get updates right in your inbox.