My Sister's Visit

Shari told me she was coming from Illinois for a respite visit.  (Her husband has dementia.  It's tough to live with that all day, every day.)  Because of circumstances, I honestly didn't believe she could do it...but she did!  She came with the mission of helping me get my house ready for company that will be here for a couple of months.  I didn't want her to have to come with a mission since she already takes care of the masses at home.  In spite of that, I am eternally grateful that she did!

There are a couple of factors at work in that.  One is that sometimes we all need someone to help see us through.  Guilty!  Any task is easier when there is someone to talk to and help...and give a fresh eye to things we might have become blind to.  And when you're ready to "slough off", it's nice to have an accomplice!  People who knew us way-back-when assume that we will stay up late, drinking and smoking ourselves into oblivion.  Not so anymore!  We are old now.  Neither one of us can make it much past 10:30 in either time zone.

Then, too, my sister felt like she was paying it forward for times when she needed me and I was there.  Doesn't happen often!  She is a strong lady--has to be--but we have a silent understanding.  I love her unconditionally.  She knows that.  She loves me unconditionally.  I know that.  But what a treat it was to have her here with me for four days without restrictions.

Did I say without restrictions?  Oh...well....there are the phone calls.  Home called her several times a day.  The calls were fraught with tragedy...car repos...husband's threats...that always ended with "Have a good time, Mom.  I've got things covered here."  Uh......huh?

Did she have a good time?  She says she did.  But how much of a good time can be had when you are working your fanny off?  Shari is six years older than I, but you wouldn't know it.  Times when I was ready to drop, she kept us going.  In the end, we had moved mountains!  We got rid of a ton of trash...donated two small bags of stuff to Goodwill...and made room where there was once clutter.

The only real thing I can offer my sister is freedom from criticism, which she gets at home.  If she coughs, I don't care.  I cough, too.  If she wants to stay up later than I do, she is welcome to do so.  We ate what we wanted, when we wanted.  We worked and worked...and now that she knows all of my secrets, I should probably kill her, but I'm not hiding anything!

Thank you, dear sister, for all of your help.  You have now seen, first-hand, all of the dirty windows, dirty blinds, cluttered rooms, and how very much I needed your assistance.  If you want to come back in the near future, I'm ready!

My Russian company arrives today and will stay until early April.  All I want out of life right now is for it all to work.  Pray for me!