A Good Friend

2-28-08
I know that there are few women in the world that can claim that they get along with their mother in laws...let alone like them!

Before I begin let me fill you in a little...For the past, oh, two weeks I've been having some problems with my ear. It's a reoccurring problem. I am actually deaf in my right ear due to damage from spinal meningitis when I was about 2 1/2. I have nerve damage that doesn't allow me to FEEL an ear infection. So I never know I have one until my ear drum bursts or I get dizzy... blah, blah, blah...

Getting back to my story... I've had a head ache for three days now that effect my vision. (very common with my ear problems) This morning I was so off kilter that I ended up throwing up twice. I felt LOUSY! You know, the kind of lousy where the kids are on their own for breakfast and you stumble out of bed just long enough to make lunch and tend to basic needs before you head BACK to bed?

This sob story has a point...There I am, lying in bed, wide awake, with my eyes closed and tears poring our of them. Feeling not only miserable because of my head, but like a worthless Mom because I cant get up and do school work with my babies. The phone rings. It's my darling Mother in Law! (Apparently her son had called and left a message on her cell phone that I was sick) Unfortunately she received the message AFTER her help with Mini Nana had left. I'd like to say that I played tough but alas, I did not. I spilled my WHINE! In fact I got off the phone feeling a little guilty for releasing my burden and giving it to her.

Well the day went on. I made dinner. Hubby came home. Kids ran around like maniacs! And so on!

I was supposed to go to enrichment (our womens night at church) tonight but I still didn't feel so great so I opted to stay home. Although it might have been more peaceful to go to church. So any way, there I am feeling lousy all over again when the phone rings.

2-29-08

I over hear John say "I don't know. I'll let you ask her." He hands me the phone and it's Mary. She wanted to know if I was up to going out for some coconut cream pie (both of our favorites). I told her thanks but my head was bad so I wanted to leave the kiddos to John and go to bed. she told me that she was coming by to drop something off, that she wouldn't stay long but, she knew I needed to get out... and a bunch of other nice things. By the time I got off the phone with her I was blubbering to John...something about how wonderful his mother was, how good she made me feel.

Well she showed up about 20 minutes later with an entire coconut cream pie...just for me! She also brought me two shirts that she had seen at Burlington and thought I would like! I must say I love them and they look really good on me!

John said to me after she left... "See! You guys could have been best friend 10 yrs ago!" The truth is that I don't think that is true. I was not mature enough to accept another persons faults and look past them and she had different goals than I did. But, with Nana living with her...I have more in common with her than I have with most women my age.

It's a shame that it has taken us this long for our lives to be running parallel. As John put it, I am dealing with one end of the life spectrum and Mary is dealing with another but our focus is the same...Taking care of our family, meeting their needs, and loving them.

I don't know how long we'll continue down the same path together. I hope it's for the rest of our lives. But either way I am just going to enjoy it while it lasts!