Tuesday, January 26, 2016

sisu

 me:  SISU
him: What?
me:  SISU,  Finnish Sisu.
him:  (nods)
me:  You have sisu !
determination
strength of will
stamina
courage
stubbornness
positive attitude
 him: SISU (big smile)
Dad is still in hospital, but he has sisu.  He is OK.

29 comments:

Tina said...

I am thinking of you-wishing you strength, courage and sewing to keep your hands busy. BTW, love the blue quilt you are working on

apiecefullife said...

Beautiful. Love the close stitching.

Liz A said...

The hands moved me to follow the trail you left ... to your dad and from there to your mom. Such honoring I found, it touched my heart.

grace Forrest~Maestas said...

Dad. a candle for him here...in the prayer basket, small piece of torn paper,
Judy's Dad.

Dolores said...

Isä. Good to hear he's OK.

Fabienne Rey said...

Sisu is a good thing. So is to have the love of such a gifted daughter. And the love of your father. The hands resting on your beautiful cloth are tender, vulnerable, serene all at the same time. Made me lose a tear or two. Thank you for sharing this and the concept of Sisu.
I wish you Sisu for you too.

Karen Thiessen said...

Thinking of you and your dad. He has beautiful hands. The blue textile is lovely. xxoo

Judy Martin said...

He entered emergency on Monday with choking episode - was given medication and sent back to his long term care facility, where he continued to decline.
Went back to emergency 3 am on Thursday morning - not expected to survive the weekend, he was treated with strong antibiotics and a steroid medication to open up his lungs and throat, but also a relaxant - all by IV - and I spent Thursday night in his hospital room with him.
All day Friday he was on these medications, but would come out of it for brief conversations with me - this was one. I wrote them all down - I thought they would be his last words.
But when the doctor listened to his normal breathing at 5 pm, he took him off the relaxing medication - and by 7 pm he roused and announced that he was hungry. I fed him a complete container of strawberry yoghurt. My brother, sister and husband arrived just as he had finished it and he gave them a huge smile.

After that he continued to improve, and is expected to return to the Manor tomorrow.

I feel as if I've done an ocean dive - which I am terrified of doing - and come back to the surface. Thank you for your concern and prayers.
x
p.s. the name of the blue quilt is SISU - and I gave it to him for 90th birthday.

Jenny M said...

Wishing your Father all the best. My very dear MIL, (turning 90 in a few weeks) has had many emergency visits to hospital over the last 18 months ~ I think she too must have Sisu. Such a difficult and heart wrenching time to see our parent's health decline.

Unknown said...

Thank you for sharing that lovely post with us, Judy. May you have sisu as you help your dad through his health challenge. Such a ripe time of life for giving and receiving.

Wendy Watson said...

Oh Judy, right now, with tears in my eyes, I wish I had photos of my mother's 96 year-old hands.

Jennifer said...

The hands speak so eloquently and lovingly. Thank you for sharing this difficult time with us. May you all continue to have sisu.

Velma Bolyard said...

glad of the big smile

jeanne hewell-chambers said...

You have sisu, too, as you ride this emotional roller coaster. Sending peace. x

Unknown said...

Judy, I am always touched by your willingness to share your life at such vulnerable moments. The blue quilt is especially beautiful. My prayers are with you.

Anabella said...

Oh, Judy... I have been reading you quietly for years, and this one got to me. So beautiful. Thanks for sharing... for letting us peek into the love of those touches, the bravery of old age, the gift of our elders, and that amazingly beautiful cloth. Peace.

Marti said...

My thoughts are with you Judy; to see the love and courage not only of your dearly loved Dad but of you as well is a testament to family. I lost my Dad 38 years ago when I was 30 but I do have a dear elderly man in my life, my British son in law's father who will be 91 next month. He lost his wife several years ago and it has been touch and go for him, healthwise for the past several years, in and out of hospitals, etc. but still he tries to go about his life, doing as much as he can. For his 90th birthday, his sons arranged for him to fly in a WWII plane that he had flown in as a young soldier. He sent me a photocopy of himself in the cockpit, leather jacket, jaunty leather cap, hands uplifted right before take off...these are the moments, hands held, hands uplifted, that we hold in our hearts...

Mo Crow said...

(((Judy))) deep heart

Anonymous said...

we lost my partner's dad at Christmas.
I have tears here thinking of her dad and my dad who is long gone.
blessings to you and so happy he is going back to his home.

Robbie said...

awwwww very moving and heavy...thanks for posting!!!

Dana said...

Hands, heart and spirit. Thank you for this reminder on a gray January morning. I am holding you and your dad in my thoughts.

Judy Martin said...

Thank you very much for all your concern.
Dad has improved enough and is returning to his home at the Manitoulin Centennial Manor today (Thursday Jan 28) He is still considered medically fragile, but has responded well to the treatment and we shall go on.

x

Paula Kovarik said...

More than anything the touch of my father and mother's hands are my most poignant memories. I have a duplicate set of these pictures in my library (without the lovely quilt). I refer to them often. Your story brings great strength to all of us. Best wishes to you. Cherish each moment.

baukje said...

So emotional and remembered me my relationship with my father. I wish i had the same experience as you show us in this post

Margaret said...

Blessings to you and yours, Judy. Sisu..."stiff upper lip", "steadfastness", "grit"...methinks it stems not only from heritage...but also from life experience, having loved and having been/being deeply loved. May God bless and keep you...

Heather Hutchinson said...

When I saw your dad today he smiled at me, as always.

mansuetude said...

Love to you.

He has such lovely hands.

faunhaert said...

It was heart wrenching when i first saw this.
its been a while
and people don't always stay for around
for the after quakes or return..

I hope he's still improving
and strengthening his Sisu.
while you gave him some of yours
time is so precious
and its not easy to hold on
as the sands flow away.

<3 you <3

Judy Martin said...

Yes, my father is still OK.
He has been on antibiotics for a month - it is Feb 21 as i write this.
Thank you for your good wishes and support.

He likes life!