Arrival Day

Like everyone else during the holiday season, I have been busy readying for today. Today is Arrival Day. My parents' arrival, that is.

Yes, Mom -- the one that has not been on a plane since 1993 -- Mom agreed to fly down here from Massachusetts. As I explained to her, the flight is not that long -- she has been to longer Masses at church. But with Mom's condition -- who knows how today will go.

I phoned my parents on Monday at lunchtime, and my mother was ready to draw and quarter my father because -- according to her -- he had told her that they would be visiting us for Christmas but he had not told her that they would be staying overnight. I talked to her for about 20 minutes to try to calm her down, but she was ready to jump all over him. I feel so bad for my Dad -- mine is just a 20 minute phone conversation, and not having to be "on" 24 hours a day with no downtime.

Although I am diametrically opposed to just about every stance of her politics, I always felt such admiration for Nancy Reagan for what she did for her husband. That is just very tough stuff.

So we'll see what happens over the next six days. The LAST thing I want to have happen is something "weird" that sticks in my children's mamories. But I also want to give my father some sort of "downtime" from all this. Maybe I can share the load a little with him for a short time.