Husband's Belated Birthday Gift
Tue., January 15, 12:32 PM
If you keep track of such stuff, you know that Husband’s birthday was a week ago Sunday. Son usually tries to visit, but he had a bad cold that weekend. He made up for it, however, with his visit this past Sunday.
Between new medications and his visits to adult day care, Husband is a little more aware of his surroundings. Sometimes this is great. Sometimes it just means that he’s a little more demanding. He sees a movie on television and asks Son to get him the DVD, even though he hardly ever watches the ones he has. He wants a bigger table for his room.
We have tried to replace his tray table before, but he managed to break the replacements. Then he remembered we have card tables in the basement. Not only is a card table way too big, anything that has been in the basement for more than twenty years is filthy. Son actually sat down with him and asked him questions to determine just kind of table would be suitable, before searching online. “Oh, by the way,” says Husband, “can you get me a new chair too?”
The boxes arrived last week, and I left them unopened. I didn’t even mention they were here, because there was a lot of assembly required and I didn’t want to get into it. (Back in the day, assembly consisted of my interpreting the directions to Husband so that he could supply the strength… That’s no longer an option.)
Son arrived on Sunday and moved Husband into the front of the house. He was going to be assembling the pieces there and, meanwhile, they could watch the football games together. The assembly was complicated; the table has a drop-leaf with legs (most impressive!) and three drawers. While putting it all together, Son not only kept track of the games but continually explained it to Husband. He has such patience with him.
With the room cleared out, I could clean the floor enough to get down with a flashlight and look for the spring Husband had lost a couple of weeks ago. I did find it; it was stuck behind part of a broken glass wedged into the leg of the dresser. Sometimes we have more fun…
Husband has always liked football more than any other sport, and he still turns on a game when he finds one. It is one thing to have the tv on and something entirely different to understand what is going on. I don’t think he cared who was playing, or why. But Son kept him on track for the whole afternoon. Men bonding. What a wonderful birthday present, even more than the new furniture.
Husband is delighted with his new toy, and yesterday (Monday) I heard a lot of noise — and groaning, of course — coming from his room. He was rearranging stuff and dropped a photo. When I came in afterwards, I discovered treasures. More about that next time.
