I hinted at this in the last post but have hesitated to actually write about recent events until I could find some humor in nearly two months of not very good times. With much effort there might be a smile in here somewhere. But I think right now there are more tears than chuckles.
Two days before her 87th birthday my mother just seemed to turn into someone else. Granted, in our family, it can sometimes take days to realize someone is not quite normal by our standards but this was pretty obvious. Okay--she did fall out of bed on her head; and yes, she did find my wedding rings and hid them under her bed and forgot; and oh alright--she did accuse me of rearranging the soda cans in her refrigerator door as well as stealing her underwear. But I swear I did not empty out her safe deposit boxes and I did not murder my sister!!!
You can see what we are dealing with--very sad. The doctor confirmed she needed placing in a more supervised living situation and so the last few weeks have been taken up with touring Assisted Living facilities, getting endless forms filled out, explaining to my mom for the nth time what was happening and digging up papers dating back to my Dad's discharge from the Marine Corps after World War II. Meanwhile, I got sick again! No, Faithful Readers, it has not been an easy time.
Where has my mother gone?
(And she asks, "Where are you taking me?")What has happened to my beautiful, competent mother?
(And she asks, "Why do you hate me?")What right do I have to take her out of her own home and put her in a strange, new living situation?
(And she asks, "Why do I have to go away?")
I say, "Mama, you'll be safer here"
(And she says, "But I'll be good.")
I say, "Mama, you're not eating--you only weigh 100 pounds!"
(And she says, "I'll eat more--I really will.")I say, "Mama, you're only going to be one mile from our house and you have friends there already."
(And she says, "Why can't I just die?")
No one ever told me about this chapter of life.
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