Dinner With Dewey And Betsy

Mark and I got to spend a few hours with these two good friends last week.  Betsy and I are Quilting buddies, (crafting buddies from way back to our days in Cincinnati the first time at Mt Washington Baptist Church)...we share books, recipes, stories of our children and grandchildren...lots of things but we have each other's back no matter what.

Right now we are sharing the gradual loss of a really great and funny man.  Dewey loses a little bit of himself weekly.  He can't really remember who we are now unless Bets shows him a picture of us and tells him over and over who we are.  He is a hard working man...84 and still trying to do all the things he has always done.  Ever so slowly Betsy has begun to taper the workload off.  It just isn't safe for him anymore.  His truck 'is being worked on' and his keys have been put away.  The man has never met a stranger, ever, never.  He can talk to anyone about anything.  He had a big heart and Betsy's is even bigger  She has a heart of gold.  Bur right now her heart is breaking.  And ours are breaking for both of them.  Dewey is the love of her life.  He makes me smile and seeing her in so much stress makes me cry.  My heart is so sad for her.

Just about every time we are with them he tells Betsy how much he likes me.  This time in the dining room of Frisch's he told everyone how lovely I was and how much he loves me.  You have to be ready for just about anything.  Sometimes I just have no words so I just smile, shake my head and hug the man.  He loves a good hug.  And he always reciprocates by giving me a big hug back and a kiss on each cheek.

Betsy took our pictures so she would have one on her phone to pull up whenever she talks about us.  I thnk it might be the best picture we have even taken together!

In the next few weeks, we are having some of Dewey's famous chili at their house.  I'm taking apple crisp.  It is getting so that he doesn't like to go out when the weather is bad, or at dark, or if it is too far, or if he didn't get his nap, he doesn't like bugs...it is just becoming more challenging for Bets so we are tying our best to help her take care for him.  They stay home most days watching movies.  And he wants her there in her chair in the living room.  Phone calls tend to agitate him so we text back and forth. The boys and their families visit and sometimes they will venture out.  They just have to take it all a day at a time.

 Betsy is having to learn a whole new way of life.  Some days are better than others. And there may come a time that he might have to live somewhere else.  But for now, we just love on them and give her all the support we can.

I'm going to ask you to do me a favor...please pray for these sweet friends of ours.  They mean the world to each other and to us.  We hate to see him so confused.  And worse, I have to see my friend in such a hard place at this time in her life.  And friends of MWBC, please love on and encourage Betsy the best you know how.