At least eight or nine months ago when some of our family was visiting with my parents we noticed that Dad's driving skills were going down hill. His Alzheimer's was beginning to progress more quickly, and his reaction time and reasoning behind the wheel were just not where they should be. The time was rapidly approaching that we needed to face the dreaded task of letting him know that we didn't feel it was safe for him to drive anymore. Not safe for him, passengers in the car with him, or safe for other motorists on the road! How do you tell a 76 year old loved one something like that??? Dad used to be a driver instructor, for Pete's sake! He certainly knew all the rules and little details about driving safety. He has always loved the freedom of being able to jump in his car and go exploring or running errands wherever and whenever he wanted to. This was NOT an easy thing to face.
Our family spent many months fervently praying that Dad would be accepting of this change in his life, and not feel frustrated or blame family members.
Our prayers were answered this week, when out of the blue, Dad said to Mom--
"I'm not going to worry about driving anymore. I realize I am forgetting so much, so I'm not even going to do the Drive-Able test. It doesn't really matter what the driving instructor's report is, I'm not going to drive." Well, that was such a relief - and to have decided himself means there is no one else to blame. About an hour later the report from the driving instructor came, and he just laughed and said, before opening it - "It doesn't matter what it says, I've made my own decision". He was so pleased. The report indicated he should not drive - but he made the move first.
I can't even begin to express the gratitude we feel for the tender mercies of our Heavenly Father. What a blessing and direct answer to our prayers! It just brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it.
Our family spent many months fervently praying that Dad would be accepting of this change in his life, and not feel frustrated or blame family members.
Our prayers were answered this week, when out of the blue, Dad said to Mom--
"I'm not going to worry about driving anymore. I realize I am forgetting so much, so I'm not even going to do the Drive-Able test. It doesn't really matter what the driving instructor's report is, I'm not going to drive." Well, that was such a relief - and to have decided himself means there is no one else to blame. About an hour later the report from the driving instructor came, and he just laughed and said, before opening it - "It doesn't matter what it says, I've made my own decision". He was so pleased. The report indicated he should not drive - but he made the move first.
2 comments:
That is such great news :) Such a relief to everyone--both that he decided himself and took it so well and that he is off the roads.
Such a relief.
Post a Comment