by LarryHoward » Mon Oct 20, 2014 7:39 am
Thanks Olaf. Pretty poignant.
I spent last week in Dallas moving my mom's stuff from her former independent living apartment. Some of it to the assisted living place I hope she gets to use. Some to storage and some to a Habitat style reuse charity that she has supported for some time. She's having a rough time recovering mobility and cognitive function following her fall and hip replacement/repair of her shattered elbow 2 months ago. Between packing and moving, I visited doctors, lawyers and financial folks (as POA and executor) moving things to the next level from managing to control. Discussed guardianship but doing that from 1,500 miles is too complicated and she won't agree to one of my sisters doing it locally. Probably doesn't matter anyway. She hasn't looked at a bank statement or investment report for some time. Like many geriatric folks, she is sometimes with us and sometimes not. I got a strong feeling that she was assessing her own condition and willingness to continue on this path. I left a picture in the hospital of her on a jetski with her grandson and granddaughter (a bucket list item for her) taken in July to perhaps help the staff connect that this frail, confused shell was a vibrant, if weakening person just a short time back.
I flew back home Friday night and met my daughter at the local airport who was returning from her 2 month internship conducting shark research in the Bahamas. Between catching up with her and catching up with homeowner chores after a week away, I didn't get any quiet time until Saturday evening. Clear, cool and a bit breezy evening so I poured a couple of fingers and sat alone on my deck coming to grips with facing her future and feeling that I had probably said my goodbyes last week.