Who Cares What Nansi Thinks?

OK.. so I'm sitting at my desk at work on a Wednesday. Wednesday is a nursing home day--something I don't always relish. My desk phone rings, it's the nursing home. My mom's been struggling with some health issues lately, so there was that familiar pang of dread.

The nurse said, "You're sister's here, can I give her your phone number?" MY SISTER??? WHICH SISTER??? "The one with the dark hair." Of course she can have my number. My sister has been having computer problems so she didn't get the email with the millions of changes that I've gone through in the past few months.

My sister. It had been eighteen years since I'd last seen her. Eighteen years. In this cyber age, it's amazing how many years can slip by. We talk. We email. We Instant Message. And another year goes by. Before you know it, it's been over a decade, nearly two.

I could hardly wait to see her. This sister has always been gorgeous. All I could do was feel the years (AND POUNDS) on myself... I doubt she'd even recognize me if she saw me in the street. Since I last saw her I've gone through two more husbands, had two more children, and now have two grandchildren by the one child of mine that she does know.

I'm new at my job so I can't drop everything and run, as I would like to have done. As soon as my shift ended, I made a bee line for the facility...So I get to the nursing home and there she is... Lovely as can be. She's the family beauty. I mean, she's the stuff of romance novels.... Very dark hair, olive skin and the palest blue eyes. I was suddenly 11 again, watching her get ready for prom, hating my freckles and red ratty hair. If she's changed at all in the last 18 years she's gotten more beautiful. She's ageless. You wouldn't look at her and say "I can't believe she's 53 years old" You wouldn't even think of what her age might be, you're just taken in....

It was a magical visit--over WAY too soon. We all went out to dinner. My son (who's 10) thought his Aunt was an angel. He's still talking about her. The only sad part was Mom's reaction to the shortness of the visit. She was just broken hearted that it was to be so short. But she's fully recovered and glad that we got to see our girl at last!!

I got a note from my sister today. I'm grateful that the reality of the situation with my mom and I became so evident to her in such a short time. Mom can seem "normal" when you first see her. Her doctor is always telling me that she belongs in assisted living, not a nursing home. That's because Mom's "on" when he's there. (she loves doctors) Anyway... my sister was able to fully assess the situation in just a few hours. Her words in her letter (and in another to my siblings) have totally lightened the load. I don't feel so alone in the struggle with my mom.

A pleasant surprise indeed!