Yesterday was the most I have ever done in the line of caring for parents. My mother-in-law had cataract surgery in the morning/afternoon. We were there five hours and my patience was already on the thin side from everything else going on in life but.....the art of nodding my head, listening and responding to needs gets a little sharper it seems as each day passes.
My father dear needs my mother dear to always be here for him. She took a trip to Maine to see her friends and sister and it was just a few days too long for him to handle. It is hard to see but the more people I talk with who have been down this road the more normal it seems and the easier it is to understand and just listen to him and nod my head. Mom is on her way home early. My brother and I will have to work on a plan of giving her relief when we can.
My mother-in-law really is in the same boat. She can barely leave for any length of time without my father-in-law slowly getting more uncomfortable with her absence. But she will gleefully run for the door if given the opportunity. I have no wondrous words of wisdom in reference to taking care of elder parents other than to just let go any past frustrations and learn to nod your head and smile. It doesn't matter how much you know or what your convictions are. There comes a point when nodding and listening is the best path.
I need to work on a plan for giving MYSELF relief. My in-laws live with us, dear husband's job is changing dramatically, and then kids on both end of the spectrum. Hmmm.......it is all a puzzle.
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