Personal Post

Yesterday I received the paperwork that permits the mental health nurses to do Dad's psychiatric evaluation and monitoring. I've signed plenty of forms for myself, giving people permission to do things or know things on my behalf, and that's fine, its what we do as adults. For the last six years or so I've signed a lot of things in Dad's name, checks, tax returns, intake forms. But as I was signing these forms that give someone permission to examine and evaluate Dad, a person other than myself, I was struck yet again by how odd it is to be making decisions for someone else. I am literally responsible for another adult's life, and the decisions I make have an impact on that person, not on me. What if I make the wrong decision, what if I choose the wrong thing? If I do that for myself, that's one thing, but its not easy knowing my wrong choices could damage my Dad.