Time Passing

As we were driving home from visiting Dad in hospital this afternoon, Mum said she felt as though he had been in there for ages and I agreed that it had seemed at least a week ago since he was admitted onto the Chest Unit ward. In fact it has only been two days. We have both been so busy that we have crammed a lot into the time and it has flown past. For Dad, sitting with what he calls his "ball and chain" (the drain tube and 2-litre bottle to collect the fluid) beside him, time has been passing in a different way. It's been dragging by, especially during the night when he can't sleep because of being aware of the tube sticking out of his back and because of being disturbed by the nurses taking his blood pressure every hour or so. It has made me muse about whether time really does dilate and contract or whether it is our own minds that warp time.

Dad's progress is slow, although he has undoubtedly improved in the past two days. He has been eating everything the hospital staff bring him, but I must say the meals Mum and I have seen served seem rather small. We can't wait for him to come home so that we can feed him up and help him to regain the weight and strength he has lost in recent weeks. Maybe Monday, if the doctors feel that the drain process has been fully successful by then. Fingers crossed.

My photo for today is of one of the leaves that has fallen from the beautiful Japanese Maple in Dad's garden, which has turned a gorgeous flaming red as we move through autumn towards the cooler temperatures of November.