Packing It In

The holidays have come and gone. Mom and Dad went to Patty’s house, in New Orleans, aka N’awlins. The packing the night before was an ongoing process. I love my parents, but just wanted to scream, “Just let me do this and it will be done in 30 minutes!”. Since that was not an option, I did my best to keep sane.

Mom had no idea what to pack. When I took a breather, I was able to step back and walk in her shoes. How frustrating it must be to not be able to do the simplest of tasks. Deciding what to wear the next day is insurmountable for her. Luckily, Mom is open to suggestions. Although she packed more dresses than needed, we were able to get everything in the suitcase.

Next, was Dad. Of course he thought he was packed. As I looked through the suitcase, I realized that he was not nearly done. He packed a suit jacket that needed dry cleaning. With his poor eyesight, he can’t see the spots of dirt on his jacket. Back to the closet, sorting out his clothes, Mom and I pack him up. Finally, after three hours, and a lot of muttering to myself , we were set.

The plan was to get up at 6:30am, so we would be heading to airport by 8:15am. Well, even this does not go smoothly. I awaken in the middle of the night to the muffled sounds of Mom and Dad talking and moving about in their room. Shit! I must have overslept! I grab my cell phone and check the time. It is 4:40am! I stride down the hall wondering what the hell they are doing up at this hour. Not only were they awake, but dressed and ready to head downstairs. I glance at their alarm clock and it reads 7:42am. My guess is that they had fiddled with the time while setting the alarm clock.

I announce the correct time ending with a stern, “I am going to bed and you should too.” Dad just looks up and says, “Well now that I am up, I am hungry and eating breakfast, first.” Whatever, is all I can think as I crawl back into bed. I naively think they will eat and then take a nap for a couple of hours.

Next thing I hear is Dad in Adrienne’s room. He walked in, flipped on the light and was looking in her closet for his black sports coat. Not finding it there, he tells her that it must be in Em’s closet. Saving Emily from the same abrupt nocturnal inspection, Adrienne tells him that it is most definitely not in her closet. Again, I get up and tell Dad that we packed another suit for him. I go back to bed, thinking that silence will ensue. Ha! Not likely with these two.

Dad is on a mission to find his black sports coat. I hear the chair lift beeping down the steps. I listened as he opens the front door and goes out to the car. I guess he is looking in the car for the coat. I worry that he will slip on the black ice, so I lay awake to make sure he isn’t out there too long. Dad comes back in and chair lifts himself up to his room. This scenario repeats itself, one more time. The chair lift beeps every few seconds whenever it is in motion. Beep-Beep-Beep up and Beep-Beep-Beep down. I hate that beeping sound!

After an hour of commotion, silence descends upon the house. Silence truly is golden!

Thankfully, the ride to the airport was uneventful.

Are there any lessons in all this chaos???? Probably not. What I have learned is despite my best laid plans, Mom and Dad will do whatever they want, totally disregarding my plans. It is frustrating. At the same time it is their life and not mine. I have to respect them and their wishes. As always, the word patience comes to mind. I was definitely in the low end of the “patience” gene pool. Oh well…there is always the next trip preparations to test me. That is in February. It gives me time to regroup.

Peace,

JaneEllen