I knew something was wrong the moment she answered.
“Your father had a stroke,” my mother explained. “He’s in the hospital now. The doctors are trying to find out more.”
The memory of my grandfather rushed to mind — a man I’d only ever known to be in a wheelchair from a stroke he’d had years before I was born. We used to watch Wonder Woman and eat popsicles together. He’d get pissed because I thought it was funny to hold the popsicle just out of his reach. It was a dick move, even for a four-year-old, and the sudden image of him reminded me just how helpless he could feel at times. It made me wonder if my father would suffer as he did.
Three days later, my wife received a similar call.
“I’m going to the hospital,” her mother explained. “I’m not feeling well, and I think there’s something wrong with my heart.”
As it turned out, my mother-in-law had…
