Update on Dad 8-31-11

Sorry to be late this week. It's the beginning of a busy semester for the family!

I have two short reports on Dad. One from my brother Alan who went to see Dad before he and his wife went into the Missionary Training Center (MTC) on Aug. 22. The other report is from our friend Sally Perry who visited Utah in July and has written a report about seeing Dad then. (I wasn't able to speak to Dad this week.)

Here's Alan's report:

Janice and I went to see Dad on Thursday. He was asleep when we got there, but woke up immediately and started with one of his typical stock phrases - It's good to see you, but then asked "Why are you here?" It seemed to us that he not only recognized us, but clearly understood that we weren't normal visitors. I felt that he understood my answer and some of the implications when I said we were there to go to the MTC the following Monday. While he couldn't really participate in the conversation, Janice noticed that he was carefully listening and if he missed a word you said he wanted it repeated. If you asked him a question, he was unlikely to come up with any response, but he seemed to be getting enough of what was being said to understand when things were funny and when things were causing concern.

(Alan planned on visiting Dad again and writing more, but he didn't have time to write to me about it if he visited again.)

Sally writes:

Your blog reminded me of the hardest part of my trip. It occurred to me back here, and very much too late, that perhaps I should have taken a copy of something like Wind in the Willows and read some of it to Marshall in my best South London accent rather than try to talk about things he didn't remember. I hope my visit wasn't too confusing to him; for me, I was grateful to be able to see him again, and like someone said, very much saw the essence of the person who has such a special place for me and my family. My parents were especially keen to know that I had visited and taken their love. It felt as though they were telling me something very important about the esteem and affection they hold for your Dad.

(I feel so moved by how much Dad is loved--by Sally and her family, by Alan and Janice, and by all the rest of us!)

That's all for this week.

Thanks for reading!