Mr. Oinkers Needs His Vitamin D ...

At my last job, I had a very good friend.   We'd worked together for about fifteen years ... and it was shocking how much our lives mirrored each others.   Well, not so much our lives ... but our mothers' lives. 

Despite her being about ten years older than me ... and her mother being about ten years older than my mother ... the similarities were shocking.  They would say the same things ... give the same advice ... have the same complaints.   We would compare notes and be shocked at how similar these two women were.  There were like sisters who had never been within 100 miles of one another.

Less than a week ago, Kay wrote me asking to go to lunch.  She said she needed to vent about her mother.  We used to vent to one another all the time ... but I haven't seen her in nearly eight months since the office closed.  I told her I'd make time ... I'd even drive up to see her one weekend ... and asked what was going on.

She didn't give me a lot of details ... just said that her mother was slipping badly ... and the stress was taking a toll on her.  I promised her I'd look at my work calendar and make plans to see her soon.

She texted me last night ... her mother had been killed in a car accident.

It hit me hard driving home last night ... only because Kay and I had shared so many stories in my office.   I felt like I knew her mother almost as well as my own ... even though I'd only met her once.

Then coming home tonight, I got a long e-mail from First Wife.  She's struggling with her mother.  Her mother is slipping and can't be left alone.  The other night, she got confused and kept trying to take her medication over ... and over ... and over.  First Wife has five people living in her tiny house ... and is understandably exhausted.

It makes me want to send my mother flowers for Mother's Day next month.   Because as difficult as she can be ... she's the only one I've got.   And whether it ends suddenly like it did for Kay ... or it's a long, slow goodbye like First Wife ... there's no happy ending when our parents get old.

No ... it's not a happy post.  But that's what's on my mind tonight.   Well, that and my sleep study that's coming up.   Bottom line?  I'm worried about a lot of things that may or may not ever happen.  I need a hot, hot shower ... and maybe one more picture of Mr. Oinkers ...

Hey ... baby pigs make me happy ... don't judge me ...