escargot
Disciple of Marduk
- Joined
- Aug 24, 2001
- Messages
- 43,526
- Location
- HM The Tower of London
This must be awful for you. It's terrible to lose people we love and your Dad is feeling his mortality.My old man will be 86 next Birthday. I speak to him on a regular basis on the phone, and pop round to see him every time I drive into London to watch Leyton Orient play football, and each time I do, I swear he’s getting more and more frail.
Over the years, and at quite considerable cost to his wallet, he has collected an army of tiny bronze soldiers. At least one platoon of every regiment of the British Army, including Calvary regiments on horseback, and armoured divisions. There are literally thousands of these toy soldiers, which are displayed in two large cabinets cases in his living room. They are his pride and joy.
Anyway, on Thursday afternoon, I was on my way to pick my son up from school, when my mobile phone rang. It was the old man. His tone was serious, and he wanted to talk about the toy soldiers. Basically, the next time I pop round to see him, he will have his entire collection packed up and ready for me to take them home with me. I told him not to be silly and asked him why he wanted to part with them, but he was most insistent and stressed how important it was for me to have them.
People do that when they feel they are on their way out of this world. I must admit it upset me a little bit and got me thinking that I must accept the fact that in all probability, he hasn't got long to go.
It is dignified though. Your Dad is taking control in the process often known as putting one's affairs in order.
This does't mean his death is imminent, just that he is facing the inevitable with courage and decorum.
It doesn't comfort us to know this but it certainly helps the person doing it.