Just When I Think I've Got Him All Figured Out - How My Dad Continues to Surprise Me

Today was our day of reckoning with our dad, or so we thought. 

Today was the day we had to tell our dad that he couldn’t move back home. 

My sister and I came ready with lists of challenges, arguments to be made and even a few compromises up our sleeves. We even had a code sign if one of us got stuck — we’d tug on our ear —à la Carol Burnett.

It turns out we didn’t need any of it because our dad showed up for us. 

It wasn’t Ben, the challenging 95-year-old we sat with, it was our dad who wanted to find a way that, “the future” as he calls it, works for all three of us. 

We sat across from him, partitioned by a giant piece of flimsy plastic. He looked so small. He had his own list written out but in the end neither side needed a list, we just needed to talk it out. 

All the stars aligned and we found a compromise. He’s still the dad, we’re still his girls but the roles have shifted and now we’ve got his back.