Friday, September 23, 2005

Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy ride - and for the record I can go the rest of my life without ever again hearing HUNKER DOWN

Hurricane Rita could pass directly over this house as a Category 5 and she still wouldn't be able to hold a candle to the Category 5 going on inside this house, otherwise known as my mom. Having a powerful mom is one thing. Having a powerful mom in denial is another thing. Having a powerful mom on her 6th Scotch following three beers, combined with denial during a hurricane is something else entirely - as in she's handing me a one-way ticket to CRAZY, but also really helping me with my patience skills. A few hours ago she told me she'd be happy to buy dinner if I would go pick it up. (This said even though she's been watching CNN all day.) My response gently started with, Mom, I don't think you understand...

But just now when I tucked her into bed, she looked at me with her lost and sad eyes and whispered, I miss your father. And her words floated there a minute and I lost all my breath. And all denial and power, resitance and one-way tickets were tossed to the ever-gusting wind and I hugged her and told her that I missed him too. And that was sad and sweet and I got all caught up in that tenderness until she changed channels on me and her eyes lit up, and she said that she'd like for us to go to brunch in the morning. Get some sleep mom, there's a flashlight right here should you need it. I'll see you in the morning.

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