Today, I spent the day with my dad. Oh, we didn’t go anywhere: I think we spent the entire day in his office. I installed some stuff on his computer (he now has Mozilla, but knowing him, he’ll still use IE and Outlook Express). I showed him my LiveJournal (and he put it in his favorites, so I expect him to be reading this). We went over some financial stuff that you need to discuss with parents as they get older; we talked politics; we talked old times. Most importantly, we spent the time talking.
It was good for him, and good for me.
I don’t know how many folks out there watch Penn & Teller: Bullshit. But they usually get it right. On a recent episode on the subject of Death, Inc., they pointed out your loved ones can’t see what you do for them in the funeral. That’s for you, and a lot of folks choose austentation to assuage their guilt. Better not to have the guilt in the first place: Show your folks you appreciate them, and love them, while they are still here to see it. That’s what I did today, and I think both my dad and I are the better for it.
So, call your mom or dad.
Oh, and P.S.: I know your card. It is the 3 of clubs. And yes, I said “clubs“. You never saw the word “spades” there. Trust me.
