Poppy.

Yes, it's true. This past weekend, my dad moved in with us. While it seems like it all happened very fast, I assure you, this decision was best.

The house he lived in did not have running water and his nephew was putting the place up for sale within a few weeks. The shoes on his feet were retrieved from a dumpster. He only had three shirts and two pairs of pants. I could not let him be homeless again. He needs stablitity. He needs showers and a place to rest. He wanted to move closer to me, but we could not find a retirement residence open for him. So, for now, he's on my couch.

Liz asked me if he was "stable enough" to live with me. I snapped back "no, he's going to kill us in our sleep, of course he's fine." - gah. There is a difference between asking someone if you think you'll get along and asking someone if their parent is crazy.

My dad isn't crazy. He suffers from extreme post-traumatic stress disorder. He takes schizophrenic medication and takes shots every two weeks to prevent flashbacks. Other than that, he is fine. Restless, but fine. He will carry on a conversation, laugh and comprehend what you say.

He knows who most of my family is, although he has yet to meet BJ. He knows Andy, because he has good BBQ. And if I relate them to something familiar he knows who I am speaking of when I talk.

Speaking of talk, my Poppy does a lot of it. While getting to know him and conversations I have observed between he & my mom, I have noticed that issues and confusion that went with 30 years ago were apart of a huge misunderstanding. He came back twice. Each time, friend of friends would run him off - saying she was better off without him. While I was mentioned, he never comprehend that I was his. No one explained. No one cared.

This weekend, we purchased him new shoes and some new clothes (Poppy hearts Old Navy now). While I understand people concerned about his mental state, and appreciate their love...this is my dad, my life and my family. You should be happy for me. I sought out and locked the missing piece.