Blame it on the kidney stone!

Last week I had the opportunity/privildge to experience something that turned out to be extremely special to me.   I came home from a four day trip on Thursday the 7th of June  to find out that my oldest son, Jason, was suffering from a kidney stone.   I had heard all the horror stories from many people about the pain associated with these little rascals and hoped that this would not be the case for Jason!   Was I ever wrong!   Friday morning I got a phone call from Jason asking me to go to the store for him, which I kindly did.

When I got over to his apartment, I realized that he really needed to come home with me so that I could care for him until the following Tuesday when he was to under go surgery for kidney stone removal.   For the next eight (8) days I did my best to try to help him make it thru this ordeal.   Karen  was in Atlanta visting all her family, and it was just me to do all that was needed to be done!   It was scarey at first to think dear ol dad was going this all alone.

Through those eight days the conversations were many.   They ranged from family, politics,and  philosphy,we played Jeopardy and Cash Cab,  etc.    He asked some rather poignant questions that sometimes were very difficult to answer.   We laughed and sometimes we got emotional.   It  was  a rare opportunity to sit and talk to each other, man to man.   It is not often that parents have a week of quality one on one time with their adult  children.  

I came away with an enhanced view of what my oldest son had become, a sense of pride that somewhere, somehow, he got it!!!!!!!!!!   My heart  swelled with pride.  What started out to be a father’s obligation, turned out to be a priceless treasure!   So now you know why I started out  this blog with the phrase,”last week I had the opportunity/priviledge…”   It was an obligation that turned into an opportunity  of a lifetime!!