After grandpa’s stroke, he was not all there mentally. I remember three different occasions when grandpa’s mental state stood out to me.
One night mom fixed us some soup – Yum! Grandpa looked at the soup, took a bite and then said, “This tastes horrible,” and then pushed his bowl away. About two minutes later Grandpa looked at mom and said, “What ya eaten?” To this mom replied, “Soup, would you like some?” “Well sure,” grandpa replied. Mom pushed grandpa’s bowl back in front of him, and he thanked her. Again Grandpa took one bite and said, “This is the worst stuff I have ever eaten,” and then he pushed his bowl away. This scenario went on three or four more times before grandpa looked at dad and said, “Hey Larry can you pass me the salt?” Dad nudged me with his elbow, smiled, and then said to me, “Didn’t you hear him Larry? Pass him the salt.” I could tell that dad was trying really hard not to laugh.
On another occasion, grandpa was in the living room watching TV. Suddenly he started yelling, “Chester, I’ve got to go to the bathroom.” Quickly, dad ran into the family room and said, “OK, let’s go.” As Dad helped grandpa down the hall, grandpa was yelling, “It’s going down my leg, hurry up Chester!” When Dad and grandpa reached the bathroom grandpa said, “What are we doing in here?” “You said that you had to go to the bathroom,” dad replied. With an angry tone, grandpa said, “What are you talking about? I don’t need to go to the bathroom. Now take me back to the TV.” Frustrated, dad said, “You said it was running down your leg.” To this grandpa replied, “I don’t have nothing running down my leg. Now take me back to the TV!”
Three days before grandpa passed away, dad asked me to help him give grandpa a blessing. Saddened by the prospect of losing his father, dad asked me to give the blessing. In the middle of the blessing, grandpa started to move his head and he said, “What you doing? Get your damn hands off my head!” At the time, I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I will say that I quickly ended the blessing.
One night mom fixed us some soup – Yum! Grandpa looked at the soup, took a bite and then said, “This tastes horrible,” and then pushed his bowl away. About two minutes later Grandpa looked at mom and said, “What ya eaten?” To this mom replied, “Soup, would you like some?” “Well sure,” grandpa replied. Mom pushed grandpa’s bowl back in front of him, and he thanked her. Again Grandpa took one bite and said, “This is the worst stuff I have ever eaten,” and then he pushed his bowl away. This scenario went on three or four more times before grandpa looked at dad and said, “Hey Larry can you pass me the salt?” Dad nudged me with his elbow, smiled, and then said to me, “Didn’t you hear him Larry? Pass him the salt.” I could tell that dad was trying really hard not to laugh.
On another occasion, grandpa was in the living room watching TV. Suddenly he started yelling, “Chester, I’ve got to go to the bathroom.” Quickly, dad ran into the family room and said, “OK, let’s go.” As Dad helped grandpa down the hall, grandpa was yelling, “It’s going down my leg, hurry up Chester!” When Dad and grandpa reached the bathroom grandpa said, “What are we doing in here?” “You said that you had to go to the bathroom,” dad replied. With an angry tone, grandpa said, “What are you talking about? I don’t need to go to the bathroom. Now take me back to the TV.” Frustrated, dad said, “You said it was running down your leg.” To this grandpa replied, “I don’t have nothing running down my leg. Now take me back to the TV!”
Three days before grandpa passed away, dad asked me to help him give grandpa a blessing. Saddened by the prospect of losing his father, dad asked me to give the blessing. In the middle of the blessing, grandpa started to move his head and he said, “What you doing? Get your damn hands off my head!” At the time, I didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry. I will say that I quickly ended the blessing.
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