Hard question

It's been almost a month since I've posted.  I'm mostly packed and mostly moved to Meadville, all I have to do now is secure a lease and key to my house.  I'll likely be a Meadvillian in another week to 10 days.  Scary.

This is going to be a short post, but I have to write this down so I don't forget it.  As my brother was bringing in my mom's medications on Sunday morning, I asked him:  "So tell me again why we want to slow the progression of this disease?"  Do we really want this phase of my mom's life to last 12 or 15 years, instead of 8 or 10?  What would she want?  What would I want in her place?

So those are the thoughts I'll leave you with today.  I'll let you know when we come up with an answer.  And I'll bet I'm not the first caretaker to ask these questions . . .

Luck

So, this morning as I was riding my bike in to work, I was thinking about luck.  Having finalized my retirement paperwork yesterday, and having heard from so many people that I'm "so lucky" to be retiring, I started to wonder about just how lucky I am.  As I passed the handicapped spaces near the doorway to our building, I remembered how often I thought "how lucky that person is to have a designated spot for them, especially in the cold Buffalo winters."  Now, how silly is that, to envy someone who likely has a disease like MS or an issue with breathing that doesn't allow them to walk far?  And of course, that made me think about my "lucky retirement."  How lucky is it that I will be giving up a good job where I am challenged daily, a sweet little condo that I've grown to love, friends that I may never see again, only to have to jump into the role of full-time caregiver to a woman who is headed toward infancy even as she grows older? 

But fortunately, luck often translates for me to blessings.  How blessed I am that I can afford to retire and move to Pennsylvania. How blessed to be able to take part in my mom's care?  To bring my kitty with me so that we can make a new life, maybe get a new job, make new friends, grow into a new role?  I guess I am, after all, a pretty lucky person.