Father's Day

Let me start by saying my Dad, Fred Kurth will be 87 on his birthday in August.  He's always been spry, active and a bit of an adventurer.  His work has taken him all around the world including a memorable time in Morocco 27 years ago where he met and married my step-mother Najia.

So, when he landed in the hospital in early June for no known reason, we were surprised and distressed, never having thought of any infirmities connected with him.  And why would we?  He was always fine, "a wiry Texan" as Ed likes to say.

But things had piled up - new medications, a move into a 55+ (!) housing development in Fredericksburg, Virginia, some knee trouble, maybe a little too much stress and whamo - there he was - in the hospital for five days.  That was a bit of a wake-up call for us all and my brother Rob and I decided to drive down to see him last weekend.

My youngest sister Miriam is living at home and another sister Sarae had flown to Virginia from Tucson to help while Dad was in the hospital (she had to go home, alas, before we arrived).  My other brothers, Richard and Peter, and my sister Barbara all called with support, but Rob and I were the only ones able to take off from work and visit.

We were so glad we did.  Our Dad was pretty pretty worn out when we arrived, looking, um, OLD!  The time in the hospital had depleted him, he'd lost 10 pounds and seemed exhausted.  He has lots of caring people around, though, Najia, Miriam, Abdeillah, Najia's brother and other relatives in Fredericksburg who come by to visit and help out.

I think the experience of the hospital made it important for him to talk and we all enjoyed that.  My Dad was always pretty reserved when we were growing up, though he's mellowed so much since his marriage to Najia.  He's that rare man who can really talk about his feelings.

I'm glad to say that, during the short time we were there, Dad perked up a lot and seemed to get his appetite back a bit - he's always loved to eat, although where he puts it is a mystery.  We joked a lot about that, recommending a pumpkin pie diet until the lost 10 pounds reappeared.  No worries there - Najia is a fabulous cook - check out the beautiful couscous dish with lamb, cabbage, potatoes, eggplant, fava beans, carrots and onions.

Rob and I hadn't actually been WITH our Dad for Father's Day in many years, but just called him because of the distances. So Sunday and Saturday (my birthday, oldest child, and all) were very special for us all.  We were able to talk about important things - I'm not all that sentimental, as you may know, but I felt very close and connected.  We are so grateful to Najia and her dedication to making Dad's days so safe and happy.

Have a great summer, Dad.  Ed and I plan to visit again at Thanksgiving.  Keep up the exercise so we can all go for a jog!