he developed aphasia. He couldn't produce or understand much language. He could produce nonsense and string together words, but they didn't make sense, and he found it very frustrating. He could swear, though, and did so with surprising clarity.

When I saw him in the hospital shortly before he died, he looked at me and worked out, carefully, "You. Love. Me." And he was visibly upset that that was what came out, but I told him, "Yes, dad, and you love me." He relaxed. That was the last thing he was ever able to communicate to me, and I'm so incredibly grateful that I was able to be there.

It's beautiful to me, anyway.