I woke this morning with a wretched sore throat, aching body, and pounding headache. Thanks to my son and daughter for sharing their rhinovirus with me. I don't succumb to bugs frequently, but when I do, I'm reminded of how critical it is that any person who is the sole caregiver for their elderly parents MUST stay healthy! It's a signiicant amount of pressure--knowing that I HAVE to stay psychologically and physically healthy. Basically, I can't get depressed, or decide to spend half a day in bed, or sponaneously decide to go for a day-long drive, or get the flu, or break an arm, or get the flu, or....well, you get the picture.
About a month ago (after living here five years) I suddenly realized that I can never have the house to myself. I used to savor those times when my kids were out of the house, meeting friends, shopping at the mall, seeing a movie, and I had the entire house to myself for a few hours. It was glorious. The silence; the solitude; the peace; the quiet. And so it came as a somewhat disconcerting realization that I observed that, since my parents no longer drive (and refuse to use public transportation), that the opportunity for me to have the house to myself for a few wonderful hours simply......will.....not....ever.....happen. Weird realization.
The exception to this is, thankfully, when one of my brothers comes to visit. Bless them for all eternity, I don't know what I'd do without my brothers. When they visit (a couple times per year), there does arise the opportunity to be alone in the house. Sibling support is critical to this living-with-elderly-parents scenario.
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