This morning I woke up after trying to sleep in as late as possible because my dad was snoring so loudly last night. Sadly, his uncomfortable bed which he graciously let me sleep in and his load walking all around the other side of the trailer had me out of bed at 8:30. I love my Dad dearly and try to see him whenever I can though that often means driving several hours to visit him and stay either on the couch or on the one bed, his bed, is the 23ft long travel trailer he owns. (Okay, lets be honest--23ft is a total guess. But just to be clear it isn't a nice trailer by any stretch of the imagination nor is it the kind built to actually live in. It is the kind of trailer that you maybe spend three nights in when a city family is pretending to go camping.) Anyway, Dad and I had a really nice day. We went to breakfast and talked for quite some time. He revealed to me how sick he had been lately which was a lot sicker than he has been telling me. He also told me that Toni, his now girlfriend, did his laundry, brought him food, and did all those things you need to live, but that Dad couldn't do after they put the pace-maker in him so it didn't get pulled out. I wish he had told me that he was struggling so badly--I would have come down and helped him--but, I know he didn't tell me just because he didn't want me to leave school to take care of him. He is doing loads better know. He is taking anxiety and sleep medicine now so he can actually sleep instead of staying awake 24/7 waiting for his heart to stop working again. I am so thankful Toni has been here to take care of him and willing to do so. I know it is weird and that my Dad really doesn't need to be in anything serious, neither does she, but I really hope they stay together. I want some degree of normalcy in my Dad's life. It is Christmas time, the season of traditions, and my Dad has none. He can't and/or isn't willing to participate in the traditions of my childhood because they all involve an ex-wife which doesn't sound like any fun for him. We sorta exchanged gifts tonight...which means I gave him the clothes I bought him wrapped up in a jacket because I honestly shopped last minute and didn't have time to wrap them. And I gave him is Christmas ornament because no one else was going to get him one (and we always got our own ornament every year) and the poor fellow doesn't have a tree to put it on. :) he hung it on a mirror hook.
I love my Daddy so much. I wish I could spend more time with him. I got here at 8 last night and I'm leaving in the morning. I don't know why I don't stay longer...I probably should, but I'm not going to for a few reasons. I am very much happy for the community he has created for himself in this little RV park though I wish he was back in Gulf Shores, where I had a room in his house and could visit whenever I wanted to. I suppose here he has a life and there he didn't really.

What else is there to wish for but that he is happy and healthy....