Contrasts

“There are dark shadows on the earth, but its lights are stronger in the contrast.”
Charles Dickens

(Photograph: Callaway Gardens/ Butterfly House/ Pine Mt. GA/ Julie Cook/2013)

Shadow and light–a world of contrasts….Essential in art, essential in photography, often complicating and even upsetting in life.

I’m off to Dad’s today— my weekly visit….or so I hope. Check the “office” (aka Julie’s old bedroom), look over the pile of mail on the desk. Are there bills needing attention? Are all utilities current…prayers said, fingers crossed it will be a wonderful and equally uneventful visit.

Somedays Dad is, well, Dad. There is light in his eye, the mischievous Dad who acts like a little kid, eavesdropping on conversation when everyone thinks he’s not paying attention, sneaking more chocolate when he’s been told no more (that use to be glasses of scotch but that got to be a bit disastrous so all scotch had to be disposed of–now the drink, or imbibing, of choice is chocolate, a little safer).

At other times there is an emptiness to the watery eyes…as if no light is on and no one is home. A resignation to life when physically things are still greatly intact. No excuse as to not using the ol legs in order of getting up and walking, but there is no desire..shuffling works when getting up is absolutely a must. A pity and a shame that this is to me, who insists on not wasting good health…which always falls on deaf ears— but laziness is not a new trait sadly.

So today is a day of contrasts to be sure–happiness and sadness all entwined not knowing which I shall met, if not both.
After last week’s meetings with lawyers, the constant conversation now is… “you need to take Nany’s secretary next time you come visit, and all of mother’s furniture”..(which mind you is the majority of the house)….
“Dad, I’m not loading up ya’ll’s furniture and taking it with me.”
“Well you need to start getting everything”
“Dad, I’m not taking a-part the house, ya’ll are still living in it and using your things”
“Well you just need to take what you want”
“Dad, I’ll worry about that later….
now he wants to address the concept of no time like the present…where was that attitude when the phone and the lights got cut off?!…..

Yes Scarlett, I shall worry about that another day (note reference to Gone With The Wind as any southern girl worth her salts has more Scarlett than Melanie lurking within—that is if she wants to survive in this world she best have more of Scarlett, sadly)

So today is just a visit. There shall be no confrontations with discussions of moving to assisted living. No meeting with lawyers and discussions of wills. No trips to the bank and looking throughout safety deposit boxes. No fussing over the unpaid bills. No taking of the furniture and pictures off walls and emptying of houses while occupants still just sit watching TV 24/7….just a nice little uneventful visit with my dad and step mom.

Oh the contrasts of life—–