Jerry Swicegood & A Yellow Ribbon

"I'm comin' home, I've done my time" is the first line of the old song "Tie a Yellow Ribbon".  A small yellow ribbon was waiting for my dad yesterday as he arrived home. If I'm correct, Dad spent his first night back home since November 26, 2018. That's 55 days away from home. Since that afternoon the EMS came by, he has had more sticks with a needle, more visits from doctors and nurses, and three procedures. 

While dad is not back to his normal self, he is now in the comfort of his own home.

Mom has made more trips to the parking garage at Novant, awakened early every day to spend the day by his side, and demonstrated the lifestyle of a soul mate. We are all so happy that now, she will be able to rest and maybe see the clock say 8:30 am a couple of mornings.

While the memory and images of the last two months will not be considered happy, I have taken away some positive things from the experience. 1.) A community that cares. I can't count the likes on social media for prayer request, I can't count the calls, text or IMs all of us received. We all truly felt enveloped by our faith communities. It was truly an ecumenical experience as churches and people from all denominations surrounded us in prayer. As dad said, "it was truly humbling". 2.) The medical community. Doctors, nurses, and medical workers have a very difficult job. I believe more so than most people realize. They exercise their roles in rooms with human emotion seeing people at their lowest. Despite their hectic patient rosters, I have seen how they care for the patients and their families. If you're in that role, thank you!

It hasn't been "two long years" as the song lyrics say, but I promise you, dad feels like it has been.  Home has never been a more beautiful word!