April 1 – “Zak the Zebra”

Quick Uncle Jerry update.  He is “officially” in stable condition.  Actually there has been no change in his condition to speak of.  His coma status remains the same.  The only difference in treatment is that the rheumatology department has become involved.  They ordered another round of blood tests to look for some very specific antibodies.  And since what they are looking for is so specific, they have to send off the sample to that mystical “another lab” somewhere.  They are investigating the possibility of an auto-immune problem.  Boy, does that ever sound familiar.  It’s supposed to take another few days before those results come back.  Because he is stable, though, they are planning to move him out of the ICU and onto one of the regular care floors.  I stopped by the fire department office yesterday and was sharing the situation with Trish.  Jasyn, one of the guys who responded on one of the 911 calls, was there.  He remembered Uncle Jerry and expressed his concern.  I really appreciated that. 

OK.  Shift gears.  I promised Cailyn I would include her in today’s blog.  She’s staying with us overnight because her Mom is headed to Utah for a medical conference on robotic surgery.  April promised me she wouldn’t come back a Mormon.  Anyway, Cailyn was studying the letter z this week.  When I took her to school she had her stuffed zebra with her.  She told me his name was Zak.  Zak the Zebra.  Imagine that.  I parked as usual, but the walk to the front door became quite unique.  She told me that you always have to hold hands when you are walking – all the way to the front door.  I agreed.  By all means.  I reached for her hand.  But in this case she meant Zak’s hand.  So she took one and I took another and off we went.  On the way the paw I was holding slipped from my grasp.  She quickly returned it - after giving the creature a quick slap on the rear.  She explained that she had to give ol’ Zak a little slap because he didn’t obey and keep holding hands.  I held on tighter after that.  Didn’t want Zak to get in trouble again.  When we got to the door she made me promise to hold both of his hands all the way back to the car.  I did.  Got some strange initial looks, but then they realized where they were – outside an elementary school, and the looks turned to knowing grins.  I love being a granddad.

Oh, and as Cailyn says … Happy Crazy Fools Day.

Psalms 127:3-5 says, “Sons are a heritage from the Lord, children a reward from him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.”

Father, thank you for my quiverful.  Amen.