Good Morning! Or is it? Although the sun is shining and the birds are singing and the resident landscape maintenance guy from down the street is busy cutting the grass for all his neighbor-customers, you couldn't tell it by me!
It was a long night.
It was a very long and stressful night.
It was a very long and stressful and almost sleepless night.
Are you getting the picture here? Probably.
Between 6 pm Sunday and 6 am Monday (today) we were at the hospital emergency room twice and for a total of about 9 hours. My dad was having plumbing problems and in pain because he couldn't urinate. Because they live closer, my dad's youngest sister and her husband went to get them and took them to the hospital, for which I am truly thankful. It meant they got to the hospital probably 45 minutes to an hour sooner than if I had had to go pick them up and take them.
We (my parents and I) were there from 6:30 until 9:45, I got them home, got to my home 35 minutes away by a few minutes before 11 pm, and was back on my way to get them by 11:35 pm. We were at the hospital again by 12:20 am, and I got back home shortly before 6 am. Exhausted, frustrated, tired of my parents incessant arguing and bickering, and wishing wholeheartedly that I had a sibling who could share this responsibility with me. (Now, I have a brother, but as I've told you before he is absolutely zero help, and only comes around when he wants something. And no, I'm not exaggerating. And yes, I am a little bitter, but I try hard to not to dwell on it!)
I drove about 130 miles last night, just going from my home to the hospital, back to my parents home, back home, back to my parents home, back to the hospital, back to my parents home and back to my home.
We have to be at the urologists office at 2:20 this afternoon. We have to get at least one more prescription, and we must! Absolutely MUST make time to go buy my dad some chewing tobacco or he will have a hissy fit! Another 60 miles or more today. Tomorrow we have an appointment with his primary doctor. Another 60 miles or more tomorrow. Friday I have to take my mother to pay her bills and do her first of the month shop-a-thon. Closer to 100 miles for Friday.
And it's not the miles that bother me.
I know that when I get exhausted and stressed and worried, and all the myriad of emotions I go through at a time like that I tend to get petty and selfish in my head, but I dare not let it out to my parents. I mean, I would only get my feelings hurt because they would be appalled that I was thinking of myself. The fact that they (neither of them) show one iota of gratitude or appreciation doesn't help much, either. As far as I personally am concerned, it's a lose/lose situation, and I see no way out of it until God decides it's time to call them home. And I'm sorry if that sounds harsh, but I am a realist, sometimes brutally so!
Oh, please God, give me strength, give me patience, give me wisdom, and help me to take myself out of the picture when I am stressed and exhausted and can't think straight enough to listen to a doctor or nurse who is trying to help us!
Have a blessed day, Becky
2 comments:
My thoughts and prayers are with you, I don't know what else to say. Just hang in there, you may not get the 'thank you's from your parents, but you WILL get your rewards for being a good daughter. "So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up." Galatians 6:9
And know that God will not give us something we can't handle, even we think we can't, He knows when we can. --T
Dear Becky,
Believe me, I know how difficult your situation is. I think it is so hard for our parents to realize that over the years our roles have revered. They still want to be treated as a parent, even when they act like a child. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. And, when you are so frustrated and tired and justifiably cranky (I know, I've been there), just breathe deeply and hang on.
Hugs,
Sue
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