Joe has recently been admitted into hospice care, and poor Dot is really struggling to come to terms with his rapid decline.  We are still caring for him in his own home, but now we have a hospice nurse that checks in once a week and a bath-aid that comes in twice a week.  Joe is in bed most of the time now and he is very weak, but he has not lost his sense of humor.

Dot comes in every morning and gives Joe a kiss square on his lips.  After they share a smooch, Dot asks him:  “How did that feel?”

Joe has different reactions depending on how lucid he is feeling on that particular day, but he always gets a giant grin on his face.  Some of his reactions include:

“Pretty good, I guess.”

“I didn’t feel anything.  Maybe we should try again…”

“Is that you, Dot?”

“What was that?  Was that a kiss?  I hope that was Dot…”

“Well it was better than a shot in the arm…”

“It wasn’t nothing to shake a stick at, I’ll tell you that much!”

However Joe responds, and no matter what time of day it is, Dot sweetly strokes his face and says, “Good morning Sleeping Beauty!”

Joe:  “Mornin’ Honey.”