A few days ago, my youngest daughter created a sandwich: sharp cheddar cheese and pickles. My son likes peanut butter and banana sandwiches.
Me, I don't eat too many sandwiches. I am the sandwich. My husband and I are the filling, sandwiched in between our
children and our elderly relatives. We're traditional that way.
Here
are a few of the voices we hear inside this sandwich. I realize that my
situation is not quite as difficult as others’, in that the elderly relatives don’t actually live with me. But still,
I hear so many competing voices. The
ones in blue are the ones that comfort me.
Elderly aunt: I
can’t see well. Help me manage my bank
accounts.
Son: I need a
ride to a band rehearsal that is 50 miles away.
My older brother:
I am so thankful that you are managing our aunt’s accounts. I’m going to help by loaning large amounts of
money. And I’ll confer with you whenever you want, to help make decisions.
Governor: I am cutting funding to the state
universities by 30%. And don’t let me
hear that they are raising tuition.
Oldest Daughter:
Will you pay for my extra meals off the college meal plan?
Friend: I will pray for you.
Elderly aunt: I am downsizing from a house to a one-room
apartment. Help me go through my things
and get ready to move!
My Mom: You are going to visit your aunt? When are you going to come see us?
My younger Brother:
I am so thankful that you are managing our aunt’s accounts and helping her get
ready to move. I am going to help by
going there and doing a lot of the grunt work. Plus I am going to move all her
stuff myself. And I’ll confer with you whenever you want, to help make decisions.
Youngest Daughter:
Can I have a friend over on Saturday?
My Mom: Your Dad is about the same. He has fewer hallucinations but continues to
have delusions. He LOVES visitors. (hint, hint)
Husband: I am completely sympathetic to what you are
going through.
What kind of sandwich do you like? What voices are you hearing these days?
5 comments:
The voices I hear say "Your parents are getting older -- you need to visit them more often." And (my husband's voice)"What! You just saw them LAST YEAR. Airfare is expensive!" Well, I'm listening to the first voice. Hope to see you soon, CHM.
That's a LOT of voices in your sandwich. I have friends caught between generations like you, it sounds so exhausting.
It sounds like you have good siblings. I'm grateful to mine, who are doing, as you are, while I am trying to support them from far away.
My mother asks when I'll visit each time I talk to her :-)
I'm inbetween an aging husband who can't think for himself anymore and my own spirit that speaks to me and says " you've handled too much in your life alone get help from whomever you can"
I like a BLT with avocado! I tend to ignore the voices.....but I have to say, you have some awesome brothers!
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