I’m not going to pretend that taking care of my dad is easy. It’s exhausting. It’s taken over my life. It’s destroyed my chance of getting a promotion. In fact, I’m nervous that it’ll cost me my job.

But it also means that my father and my son can have the incredible relationship they’ve developed. They spend every free moment together. When you’re 87 and 7, that’s a lot of free time.

My son is the littlest caregiver. He’s so eager to help his pawpaw. And pawpaw tries his hardest when he’s with his beloved grandson.

Sometimes I’m a little jealous. They get to do all the fun things together. Often, I’m busy calling insurance companies or figuring out treatment options or trying to catch up on my own work while they’re playing.

My relationship with my dad will never be as simple as his relationship with my son. They’re all love. My relationship with my dad is so much more complicated.

But really, watching them fall asleep together, watching them playing together, seeing how much they love each other. That’s what makes it all worth it for me.