A pre-Thanksgiving visit from his son...

My youngest brother went to visit Dad yesterday.  When he arrived, he found Dad, sound asleep with the afghan Mom knitted him, keeping him cozy and warm.  My brother sat down and was going to watch some TV, while letting Dad get some "shut eye", but, while rifling through Dad's drawer to find the remote, Dad woke up.  Dad's face lit up with joy when he saw his son sitting there...

Still under the effects from his dreams, Dad was talking about files in his mind and deposits for his savings.  Not knowing what Dad was referring to, he attempted to change the subject to Thanksgiving.  He asked Dad what he was thankful for. Dad told him he was thankful for his faith, and he had to make daily deposits in his savings for his faith.

My brother told Dad he was thankful for his family, his friends and his faith.  "Pops" told my brother he had "visions of heaven" and it was beautiful.  He told my brother,"We have to say our prayers to get to heaven".

Dad told my brother how much he enjoyed his wife, Katie Couric's voice.  Dad smiled, as if remembering, and my brother changed the topic, by asking Dad if he remembered the family dog, Brutus.  Dad smiled again, and began to describe the dog's face.  Dad's face fell sad, as he told my brother he felt badly, because he had abandoned Brutus.  Dad said they had been walking and Brutus would not follow him, he stayed on the other side of the street and then someone had taken him.

They laughed together remembering how Brutus was attack the mail slot at the house, when the mailman would start to push the mail through.  Brutus was run as fast as his stubby legs could carry his chubby body and throw himself at the door, biting the stack of mail, pulling it through the slot!  No one really knows what happened to Brutus, he just disappeared one day.  It broke Dad's heart.  He loved that dog so much.  Dad plastered the community with posters and put ads in the newspaper. We never found him...

Very seriously, Dad told my brother, "Never water the Pomegranate tree".  This was Dad's mantra in the summer, because if the tree got too much water, the fruit would crack open in the fall.  Mom did not heed his warnings, and over watered the tree.  This fall, we did not get our delicious pomegranates, as we normally do, because they all split open and the birds got to feast instead.

My brother was not sure what made Dad bring up the Pomegranate tree. He hoped Dad did not remember, one of his "punk kid" remarks, when he told Dad Brutus had died, and he buried Brutus under the tree... Dad had gotten so upset, he told my brother, "If you really did that, I will disown you as my son"....that sobered him up quickly from his mean spirited teasing.  We all knew how sensitive Dad was with Brutus and we should not even bring up the subject that Brutus was gone...

Again, my brother changed the topic, this time to childhood memories, asking Dad if he remembered bringing him McDonald fillet of fish sandwiches to school, when he had forgotten his lunch... Dad remembered and reminded him of the Reese's Peanut Butter cups he had included for his dessert, which made my brother smile with affection.  They reminisced about fishing off the Huntington Beach pier. Just as my brother was about to bring up the golf tournament they were in together and took home a trophy, church friends of Dads walked in for a visit...

He kissed and hugged Dad good-bye, watching Dad's excitement as he clasped hands with his dear friends. My brother assured me, Dad showed no sadness or indication of even realizing it was Thanksgiving tomorrow.