As the days have come and gone, I’ve started to get and place several pieces of the puzzle, outlining my mother’s decline and her loss of mental faculties. It seems as though her ability to remain independent may have come on quickly, but her overall decline had been observable and noted by others for months. I find it more than a bit frustrating, given the nature of the “community” within my mother’s apartment complex, that no one thought of looping in her only son. But I digress,,,
Today marks my fifth day away from home, which is five days too many. I’ve been blessed with family members who have gone above and beyond to help my mother and I don’t believe I would honestly be able to get everything done in the week that I’m here, so thank the light for them. My uncle Danny has been an absolute God-send, and I’ve spent most of my evenings in his home where he and my aunt have provided hot meals during my stay.
Probably the most difficult aspect of this week has been all the questions. How’s your mom doing? How is she faring? How are you handling it? I feel like I’ve had to explain the story more times than I care to count and the questions keep on coming. I’m deeply tempted to put out a flyer so people can grab one and read it at their leisure. On the positive side, this clearly demonstrates to me how well-known my mother is and how much everyone cares and is concerned for her. Once again, I just wish I could have been looped in sooner.
It’s one of those things where there likely wouldn’t have been anything I could do but that wouldn’t have stopped me from trying. It’s still my parents, you know? I want to be home so bad right now but at the same time, I’m afraid for the attention and assistance my parents may get, or lack thereof, once I’m gone.Among the many tasks I have set before me today, the day will take something of a karate theme. This morning, I get to travel to the next town over to have lunch with Sensei’s son, a dear old friend who is more like a brother than a buddy. I haven’t seem him in a couple of years. This evening will see me letting my hair down (proverbially-speaking) and joining my old friend Ricky for a few games of pool and a pint.
As with all things in life, there must be a balance. Despite the negative tinge this whole situation has, it’s been wonderful to just see my parents and sit with them. I’ve already seen a couple of old friends, which has been nice, and there are more to come. Friday, I’ll actually get to see Sensei, which will be good as I missed him when we travelled here last year. All in all, I’m taking advantage of the situation to revisit some old haunts and relive old memories. Not all who wander are lost, after all. ☯️
The Blogging Buddhist 