Don’t Tell Your Mother

So my folks were late again to Sunday supper this week because they were waiting for each other at the grocery store, sitting on benches maybe 15 feet apart pointed in opposite directions…dad having dozed off from one too many free cider donuts.

Helping the parentals manage aging takes its toll at times - I’d even argue caregiver health decline is the next great epidemic - but it can be pretty hilarious and instructive. Dad is at it again with a string of ALL CAPS emails outlining his health issues and litany of challenges getting old….BRY!!! I NEED YOUR HELP WITH TV. DOESN’T HAVE TO BE TODAY BUT I CAN’T TURN ON NETFLIX SINCE YOUR MOM PRESSED THE YELLOW BUTTON AND WE CAN’T GET IT BACK TO MAIN SCREEN!!  SO WE JUST PLAYED SCRABBLE. SHE CHEATED AGAIN WITH SOME WORD CALLED GUBBINS.  DEFINITELY NOT A WORD. SORRY I THINK YOU CALLED BUT I COULND’T FIND THE UCONN GAME SO I WENT TO SLEEP AT 730! I CALLED YOU THIS MORNING BUT YOU ARE BUSY. CAN YOU BRING ME AT 845 INSTEAD TOMORROW FOR CATARACT FOLLOW UP. DR TAU CHANGED TIME. ITS $6000 FOR THE TWO LENSES!!!  I WOULD RATHER WEAR GLASSES AND GO TO PEBBLE BEACH BUT YOUR MOTHER SAID NO WAY!!.  THEY TOLD ME NO EXERCISE FOR 5 DAYS AFTER SURGERY BUT I AM IGNORING THAT. DON’T TELL YOUR MOTHER!!!!. I BACKED THE DODGE INTO THE LAMP POST AGAIN SO I NEED YOUR HELP WITH THAT. AND I DROPPED MY HEARING AIDS IN THE TOILET LAST NIGHT AND DIDN’T REALIZE AND FLUSHED. DON’T TELL YOUR MOTHER.  I WENT TO WATCH TOMMYS TENNIS MATCH BUT WATCHED THE WRONG KID!! I DIDN’T REALIZE UNTIL AFTER.  A NICE YOUNG MAN HELPED ME FIND MY CAR. I LOST IT IN THE PARKING LOT. TOOK ME 30 MINUTES….

Sometimes I struggle to understand if dad is grumpy or happy or what the difference is between 1 exclamation point and 4, but it doesn’t matter. He’s communicating and making me laugh and I don’t mind helping him manage his peccadillos and life on the way to 80. I know like many of you I’m lucky for that!!!