Just Go Outside

When we were little and complaining about nothing in particular my mother would tell us to, "just go outside" - she used it as a reset for our moods - I think of it today like a spoonful of tart lemon sorbet between a meal. It worked every single time. We always found something new to talk about, to break our moods. Today, my dad is struggling with his mood - he's flat out lonely. If you meet him on the street he's always jovial, always, I mean, always, has a story to tell and adds his signature tagline, "I'm still vertical!" Lately though many of his friends have died or are struggling with a debilitating disease or the loss of a partner. It's been three plus years since we lost mom and I know he thinks about her every day and I know he misses his own sparing partner, his healthy wife. Other than some mobility issues, he's healthy - at 92 - a tiny bit of arthritis in his hands but otherwise he's good to go! Late yesterday he was down, his mood had plummeted and he was staring at the wall. I suggested we go for a walk - just go outside - he has a new walker that he's very proud of and is using (this alone is a miracle) - surprisingly he agreed and we walked up one side of our block, where he's lived for 50 plus years, and then down the other side. He had a story for almost every house we passed - every story I've heard at least a hundred times - it was just the reset he needed. 

#loneliness #olderadults #dad #walker #Chicago #father