Day for Night

Day for night is a film filter used to make day shooting look like night. Popularized half a century ago. It is also the name of a film by Francois Truffaut. It is also, my life. I live my days at night and so miss out on much of the goings on around the house, not to mention, daylight.

Years ago, when the boys were younger, my mother told me to "just wait, when they are out of the house you will have much more of your income freed up."

My mother called last night, I was sleeping, the phone had the call recorded at eight forty-four p.m. "I have a date for my surgery. My left hip is awful". I have six siblings. She calls me because, oh, there are so many reasons she calls me. And in this I am blessed. When my dad was diagnosed with cancer she called me. I was able to suggest who I thought was the best cancer doctor at Ellis Fischel at the time. We talked at length about dad coming down here or going to Kansas City, which was closer. They chose to come down here, a three hour drive away. They were able to stay at my house during his treatments. It allowed Dad to visit more with the kids. And then, once the treatments were over I was able to take a weekend job in St. Joseph at Heartland hospital, for thirteen weeks. It was a contract. And later, the hospital invited me back for a second contract and I went. The boys were at their dad's house during the weekends so it worked out well. It was nice visiting with mom and dad, going to see grandmother before driving home. Dad has been gone five years and grandmother has been gone three. The other day I was wearing one of his old shirts which I use as a jacket, looking down at the worn cuffs I thought how much I miss my dad. As impossible and irascible as he could be, I miss him.