Happy Birthday Dad and many more, I hope!

Yesterday my dad turned 75. I spent some time with my parents yesterday afternoon. I bought dad a slab of chocolate and a packet of ginger biscuits to carry on with until I can buy him a proper gift at the end of the month. He loves getting munchy items for his birthday and that suits us too because in typical male fashion, most other items on his wishlist entail taking a loan from the bank to purchase them. Mom and Greg bought him a set of 3 different tools in one box on special offer and he was pleased with that. He recently lost a lost of his power tools a few Saturdays back when we were at the Farmers Market. The parents arrived home to find that thieves had broken the latch off the garden shed and made off with the tools.

Anyway dad couldn't wait to show me his badge of honour. Several swollen toes and a reddened foot from the night before. Dad has very active dreams and mom is used to being woken up with a heavy arm thumping across her or banging noises in the room. She just snaps on the light and finds dad in a variety of poses. Anyway, the night before his birthday he dreamt that he was throwing people out of his garage and in his eagerness, he managed to deliver the open bedroom door with a hard kick which didn't harm the door but certainly served as a painful wakeup call for him! He couldn't sleep after that with the pain in his foot and had to take a sleeping tablet to get back to sleep.

Dad has always been the official breadwinner and payer of the big bills and being self employed this has often been a challenge. As he gets older and income gets less, his active dreams get worse. During the day, he seems able to cope, obviously burying any worries so as not to alarm mom but when he is asleep, his worries manifest in dreams mainly comprised of protecting his household and family. Mom has snapped on the light sometimes to find him facing into the clothes cupboard or through in the en suite bathroom staring out into the garden. Some weeks ago, he was so restless, he fell out of bed. Luckily he is an active gentleman and not as rickety as some at his age or otherwise his antics might have more serious consequences to his health. We have a good giggle about it when I visit as I get a full update but seriously, I wish my dad could have a peaceful nights sleep and this will only be attained when he is at peace with his personal circumstances and his income.

Or else, I have warned him that I'll have to start strapping him to his bed..or get him an extra large cot! Sleep peacefully, dad!