Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Knuckle Update

I wonder if there's a pill or mushroom available that would offer me a peek inside the mind of a bored 91-year old. Make that bored and bitchy. The knuckle must have been a real brat of a child 'cuz she's one unpleasant handful on the phone.

Why do some people insist on treating family like servants and strangers like honored guests. Everyone at the Oaks is always telling me how much they love my mother but she is so mean to my sister in law. All I hear are complaints; complaints I know have no merit. In fact, the complaints are all accurate descriptions of herself, e.g., inconsiderate (refuses to call, refuses to fix answering machine, refuses to carry cell phone). What crime did my poor s.i.l. commit? She couldn't get a whole day off to carry the Knuckle to a funeral. She took three-four hours off but that just wasn't good enough.

What is the lesson here? What does my mother's death-defying grip on a life she doesn't seem to value have to offer?
  • Embrace gratitude as the pure energy form it is.
  • When she hits the rant re-play extend your arm. You won't hear her and she won't notice.
  • Evaluate and pick your own retirement home so it is your choice.
  • Don't blame other people for your failure to communicate
  • Get a mirror

I feel better now, do you?

3 comments:

Jonna said...

I do feel better....Ha! I love the Knuckle updates. If my poor mother had not fallen to the dreaded 'A' disease I'm sure she would be just as bad or worse. Which I sometimes feel very sad about as the 'A' disease has stolen the essence of who my mother was.

Sending Pages Out to Dry said...

Oh dear, I feel so bad sometimes thinking if the Knuckle had the A, she'd be much nicer to play with. She does have her good points. Everyone outside the family thinks she's great. My morning-walk buddy says her mom got a lot sweeter with A.
thanks for commenting, I just had to get that out. It's scarier than wondering where my 401ks are going.

Anonymous said...

Ahh...I feel better, too. My 401 is dwindling to pocket change (no, wait - it was pocket change to begin with! - now it's good for a trip to Dairy Queen), one in four of us will be in foreclosure by June (is it possible that one will be the same one in four to get breast cancer??)...but your mother and mine -- they are still the same lovely creatures as always. Let's take our comfort where we can get it.