I have spent this week promoting a Memaw-telethon to drum up some more visitations for her. I sent emails to those email-using folks back home, called several of her closest friends and extended family and had lengthy discussions with them during my rides between the office and jobsite during the day. (It is really hard to reach folks her age after work hours… must be a senior citizens thing?) I feel so strange too when talking to her friends... it feels almost like I am advertising for her... like I am describing my puppy for sale in a newspaper ad... cute, petite grandmother for sale- loves long walks, rocking chairs, and southern cooking- inquire within...
In the meantime, I am dancing on egg shells with I am on the phone with her… just waiting and dreading the next “bad” conversation or should I say the next outburst?! One thing I have discovered is that if I call her with a subject in mind to talk about and start off the phone conversation with that subject right away, then she gets too involved with that subject to remember her complaints! Funny subjects work really well because they keep her laughing and her mind off the other. In the mornings though I get so frustrated with her because she goes through the same line of questions each day: “How are you feeling today?” “Is it raining up there today?” “Be careful driving because there are crazies on the road.” “Don’t hurt yourself.” And I love this one: “Your going _(insert exercise here)__ in this heat? Well don’t haul off and have a stroke!” Thanks, Memaw… how morbid are we? Why would you tell me that? That is such an elderly thing to say to me! Ha! Anyhoo, I know that I am fortunate that she is able to say those things to me today, because tomorrow she might not be able to any more. I also know that I am truly blessed with every new day I have with her… and that all of these “bad” or “stressful” talks that I endure now will be a cherished memory down the road… I just hope I can survive and keep my wits along the way.
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