Blogger Party

Lately, I've been too busy to blog. Somewhere between looking after my aging mother and my daughter who just made me a grandmother, I have been gone 27 out of the last 31 days. I think I would recognize my husband if I passed him on the street.

Taking care of an octogenarian parent takes patience and endurance. She's on oxygen and it takes coordination to get her from the house to the car, from the car to the store, back into the car and home again. I carried my purse, her purse, the oxygen, the packages, and I was either her support or I managed the walker. Never mind she is strong willed and we did pretty much what she wanted to do even if it meant she over exerted.

As the mother of five kids, I learned very early how to handle being a pack mule. A trip to the beach meant to me that I would hold on to everyone's stuff and manage our space. When leaving, I kept up with everything, herded everyone to the car and got everyone and everything back into the house. The training was good for me because it certainly came in handy over the last few weeks.

My mother has osteoperosis and has suffered several broken bones from falls. It was discovered that she wasn't getting enough oxygen and that's why she was falling. My sister who is the saint in the family has been managing most well no, all of it herself. After a few weeks, I wanted to nominate her for sainthood and hopefully there will be a time that ordinary people doing extrodinary things will achieve that sort of title. I plan on going back to give her another rest every other month.

Now, the daughter. She had her first child and it has been an adjustment for her. Never mind her young husband (she's younger) THINKS he is helping out but has a lot to learn. At least he tries! She, on the other hand is getting her training running back and forth, hauling diaper bag, purse, stroller, and carrier back and forth between the house and the car. I HOPE, she won't have to use her expertise to manage me when I am my mother's age. NOT THAT I MIND TENDING MY MOTHER, but heaven forbid, I make it into my 80's.....as Bette Davis said, "Old age is not for sissies." I guess I am a sissy!