Follow-Up on Visit
Back from Florida - it was very hard, not only seeing my grandfather dying, but because he is not taking this well. He is very angry and its like some monster has taken over his body, he was rallying against everyone and everything. I've never seen him so mean before. Has anyone ever dealt with that, with a dying loved one who hasn't come to terms with dying? It doesn't help that he is areligious, he believes in God but doesn't really care for Him - so one can't even comfort him through spirituality (which would help me).
I just left him feeling worse than when I went. Sigh.
On a different note - Atlanta airport (ATL) sucks! It is huge and does NOTHING to really help you get from point A to point B, beyond that people mover subway thing. But even there, when you stop at your terminal, they have only TWO escalators - really, only two? One up, one down. I was running today to make a connection, from D terminal to C terminal and I got slammed both going down and coming up, couldn't move, people standing everywhere. Than when you get to the terminal the hallways are VERY small/narrow so I had to keep bobbing and weaving as I ran, to make it to my gate. The subway-people mover spits you out at gate 24, of course my gate is number 8. NOTHING to get you down that hall fast at all, except LOTS of people moving as slow as honey or walking like a drunk! And don't even get me started on the security at that airport, could they be more rude and slow?? Seriously, its official, my least favorite airport, in the entire world is Atlanta!!!
"Glen Beck is Satan's mentally challenged younger brother," Stephen King. I saw this quote and I had to put it up, cause it made me laugh and I agree.
"Abercrombie & Fitch Faces Lawsuit Over Muslim Headscarf" - saw this headline on the Time magazine website (http://www.time.com/). I am so not surprised. I have long despised A&F because I felt they were racist (whenever you go in there are NO models of color on the wall posters and good luck trying to find someone Asian or Black in the catalog!). This news story just reaffirms my beliefs about this establishment. I ask you to boycott said store if you feel as I do, that A&F is racist (and also in my case, as an ethnic woman, why should I spend my hard earned money at your place of business when you don't even have the decency to represent me or someone like me in your advertising??).
And finally an image of my beloved Copenhagen - because I really need that right now - this is actually a picture of the bridge I would cross ever Sunday to get to St. Alban's, my Anglican church experience while in Denmark (which I loved and miss terribly!). Of course I would be crossing early Sunday morning and it was never that busy but quite calm and peaceful (and that boat, with the sails, is permanently there, I think it might be a restaurant? the white building, just as you came off the bridge, houses an ice cream palor on the bottom floor, I remember walking past the big life-size plastic ice cream cone, next to it is a Thai restaurant).
posted by Virginia Gal @ 1:41 PM
6 Comments:
It's hard to see a loved one so sick. It takes strength to be there to witness it. Hope he finds some peace of mind and some comfort.
i'm really sorry about your grandfather. i can't imagine it's easy for him, but i also can't imagine that his attitude brings him any comfort, either. my hope and prayer for myself is that when my time comes, i'm at peace with it, but we really never know until we're there. i had a really nice discussion about death anxiety with Honey's grandmother this weekend. she's not looking forward to death, but she says at her age, she's more comfortable with the idea than she was at my age. she had a lot to say and agrees that we should discuss it more in our families. my prayer for your grandfather is that he finds a moment of emotional calm and in that moment that he can hear the still, small voice of God to soothe him during this scary time. and i pray that you will all find your calm in this as well.
on another note, i mostly don't like A&F 'cause i associate it with white prep privelege, and their clothes are boring. they do have minority models; just the token minority here and there, but like Hilfiger and Gap, they've been homogenized into "acceptable white prep." MadTV had a great word for it: "blackercrombie." witness in the video below
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKmBqYPR890
also, i love the Improv Everywhere gig from a few years ago, mocking A&F shirtlessness. watch the whole thing. it made me laugh!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdeBp8J0rqs
So sorry to hear about your grand dad. I guess it's only normal to rage against the darkness.
As for A and F, never bought anything from, never plan on it (besides I am not a size 22 waist, nor am I 17).
And Denmark, my bags are packed, you will need a chaperon!
I'm really sorry about your grandfather. It must have been hard ot witness his bitterness and I hope he is able to find some peace within himself.
(Never bought anything from A&F in my life, so I see no reason to start how.)
May your Nana, you, and your family be blessed with peace. Anger is definitely common, and often among family as well.
The classic book on this is "On Death and Dying" by Elisabeth Kubbler-Ross. If you traveling, could be an airplane book, but not light reading.
shalom
Merci - thank you for your kind words.
Molly - thank you for the prayers, I too hope the small voice of God within him, finds its way to the surface.
Pax - ha ha - who will be chaperoning who??? LOL.
Secret Agent - Thank you, me too, I hope he finds some peace within.
Eliyahu - thank you and that book, I will pick up, to help better deal with this.
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