Some things suck.

So, my father just learned that he's got glaucoma - a hereditary condition that leads to blindness if untreated. His own father has just succumbed to it in his 80s, and it's been pretty hard work for the whole family; it's somewhat unusual for someone as young as my dad to have it show up so early. There's no cure as such, only ways to prevent or delay its progress, and if treatments don't work (which is always dubious), he could lose his sight within a couple of years. He's pretty cut up about it, in his quiet way, as is mum, and all of us. I love my dad more than pretty much anyone else in the world, and he's not had the easiest life, and it sucks, and I'm not happy. I want him to see his grandchildren grow up, and not have to sell his business and go on disability benefits, or be all dependent and house-bound before his time; I want him to live out the rest of his life pleasantly - he more than deserves it. I know it's not the worst thing in the world, and I am, as usual, fairly philosophical about it all in terms of taking what comes when there's nothing you can do about it, but still, you know...

Also there's the whole thing of it potentially being passed on to me. Some of mum's family have had it too. Not a nice thought. No point thinking about that just yet though.