We took my dad to the hospital emergency room tonight. He's been in considerable pain and discomfort for the last few days. He already has breathing problems, recently suffered a stress fracture on one of his ribs, and now his feet are bloated and swollen. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and transferred by ambulance to a different hospital. (The local one had no empty beds)

Dad was unable to walk to the car to go to the hospital. I carried my father to the car, scooped up in my arms like a child. I thought back to the days when dad carried me around in his arms, when I sat on his lap as he read stories to me. Life does have a way of coming full circle, doesn't it?

He was his usual self at the hospital, wisecracking and joking with the nurses in spite of his very obvious pain. One nurse walked in and said, "are you Mr. S?" Dad chuckled and said, "yeah, whats left of him!" I ran home and got some books for him to read. It wouldn't do for my dad to be in the hospital with nothing to read.

I'm tired and its been a very long day. Hopefully dad will feel better soon.
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