In a good place

Great weekend for Dad, which started out by him walking through my door in street clothes -- out of hospital garb -- and saying clear as a bell, "It is so good to be home." From that moment it's been smooth sailing. We've enjoyed delicious meals together, most of them provided by my "family" at Advent Lutheran Church. Dad gets teary with every bite, asking who made what and complimenting the cuisine.

He's enjoyed talking with friends and family on the phone, too. As he apologizes for his speech impediment on each phone call, he sounds great to me. Sure, a few words don't come out exactly as planned: arm=herm or shrum=mushroom. So what! He's making progress. He's just happy to be back to a more "normal" life, although normal is relative at this point.

This morning Dad and Linda went to church with us, where they were greeted with open arms. Pastor Jeff, who's visited Dad several times at the hospital, made special mention of his presence and expressed surprise and gratitude that he's recovered from surgery so quickly. This afternoon Dad and Linda drove to Lake Mendota for a walk then went downtown for lunch and a bit of shopping.

If it weren't for the fact that we're still dealing with brain cancer, this would start to feel like a family vacation, which just speaks to my Dad's unbeatable positive attitude.