make even the most grueling procedures more bearable. Every two weeks I send my father, who is undergoing cancer treatment in California, a stack of my daughter’s pictures taken of whatever activities she engaged in during the week. At first I wanted to create stories of her adventures to send in a little brag book but the process was too cumbersome for me as well as my dad. He simply wanted to fill the photo book with the pictures himself.
After awhile I grew accustomed to taking the pictures and let too much time lapse before dropping them in the mail so I missed his most dreaded session (he has a different procedure every week and the third is the worst). My mom let me know how much they meant to him and how disappointed he was to not have those pictures to focus on when he felt his worst. Just as I had planned, the photos offered him an escape and allowed him the opportunity to remove himself mentally from his cancer prison.
Now I make certain he has his pictures to go with his rolled stone that he caresses while dreaming of being with his granddaughter in Maine.
