the inevitable

sorry...this is probably going to be a slightly depressing post...just a warning...

it's a fact of life that people don't live forever, one day they will die. in general, people usually outlive their parents and will eventually have to bury them. no one ever really expects that day to come. unfortunately, the reality is that one day it will come =/

two weekends ago i had a huge scare- while my parents were still in taiwan, my dad suffered a stroke. he was unable to move his left foot and unable to stand on his own. i'm thankful that he is still alive, but the whole week was pretty rough. i spent most of the time worrying about his condition and hoping he doesn't have a 2nd stroke which could be fatal. communication with my mom was pretty spotty, mostly through email because of the time difference and her being at the hospital (with no means of communication). the doctors said the first week after the stroke are the most dangerous because of the chances of a 2nd stroke occurring. luckily, my dad made it through the week and checked out of the hospital. he did a little physical therapy but will have to do more at home. apparently he had an argument with the physical therapist because he didn't want to do what she asked him to do. oh boy. it's going to be a long journey i think, especially since my dad is pretty stubborn. my dad's health hasn't always been that great due to his smoking, and it doesn't seem like he plans on stopping any time soon. he doesn't really listen to the opinions of us girls (my mom, sister, and me) so he'll have to make the decision himself. my parents are back now and my dad walks really slowly with a cane. hopefully the physical therapy will help. who knows what the future holds...

so anyways, through the course of that week, i spent most of it in a fog unable to come to grips with death and the finality of it. it still makes me uneasy, but i think i've mentally prepared myself for it, kinda sorta. death is a part of life and we will all have to deal with it eventually. it's never easy, but what can you do? enjoy the time you have while your loved ones are still around. prepare yourself for the inevitable that one day your parents will be gone. take one day at a time and remember life goes on.