Chapter 52: Celebrations All Round

Maybe it’s the delirium of the birthday (as I’ve noted before, birthdays are serious business in this family) or my blissful naivete (I have no idea how to create or run a business), but I’m feeling pretty good!  I mean, I still have to set up a company website, clearly articulate service offerings, and you know…find clients who are willing to pay me money for the things I can help them do. But for now, I know that I’m doing the right thing for my mom; and I hope I’m setting a good example for my kids.

My parents took me to lunch at one of their favourite places downtown and it was really nice.  Mom seems like mom – it’s always good when she engages in the conversation and she certainly did today.  I do sometimes worry that she’s holding back from speaking these days.  I wonder if maybe the Sunday family dinner table is now too large and busy a scenario for her…?  Still, dad seems ok with things and while I think we’re both starting to consider worst-case scenarios for potential future planning, we don’t seem to be quite there yet. 

The only sad thought that interrupted my day today was thinking about whether mom will always be able to live at home.  I can’t imagine her doing well being separated from dad – if she has to live away from him, I feel like we’d be signing her death warrant.  So, we’re not going to think about that.  At least not today, anyway.

I don’t know – perhaps I was worried that going to India for three weeks and not seeing mom for such a long time would risk me coming back to find her completely different.  So far, so good.  I mean, her short-term memory is definitely not being kind to her (by the end of the evening, she had called me several times to wish me…and I suspect she’s going to offer apologies next Sunday dinner on having forgotten to call).  However, she’s still active and seems to be in reasonably good spirits.