[Insert Life-shattering Event Here]

It may seem like I dropped off the face of the (Blog) planet, but, in fact, I'm still here...muttling through.

In April my father suffered a fall in which he broke his hip. Although he rallied beautifully from the surgery, recovery was impossible due to advanced Alzheimer's. He was unable to follow simple directions and his condition quickly began to deteriorate until his death three agonizing weeks later on April 28, 2009. He was 80 years old.

One bright spot was April 16, 2009 - the day of my parents 60th anniversary. Although he was unaware of the festivities around him, my family celebrated with our mother at the hospital with cake and thankfulness. In the final days, my mother rarely left his side; she had been his caregiver at home for several years.

I'll always treasure one Saturday afternoon I spent at the hospital with my son by my side. My dad was lucid as I fed him ice chips. He looked up and smiled. He said, "I'm happy."

I said, "I can't tell you how glad I am to hear you say that."