"Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. But no matter, the road is life." - Jack Kerouac
Day 6 - Hays, KS to Kansas City, MO - Daily Distance - 265 miles - The Bucket Trip Distance - 1,801 miles
I'm so happy I got to do some laundry.
I didn't pack well for this trip. Clearly, I was on autopilot in the days leading up to it.
Last night, I knocked out "The Kids" laundry and this morning I did mine in between working out in the fitness center.
I have a lot of downtime in the morning right now. It's actually pretty nice. I typically find a set up in the lobby or the breakfast room and I catch up with everyone on my iPad.
I'm like the Maytag repairman. Just waiting for the call to go into action.
I've already got the car ready to go. I just need them to let me know when they are ready.
I get the text that they are ready for breakfast but they've missed the breakfast service in the hotel. I'm off to Subway instead (Eat Fresh!).
I drop off their orders and I leave them to enjoy breakfast alone. They had wanted to be on this trip alone and I thinking I'm finding a successful balance of giving them the space that they need.
They're ready to go.
Jack wheels my mom at to the car and I take all of their belongings on the ever present bell cart.
We get the Jeep loaded and we're ready to load my Mom.
Typically, I pull her up out of the chair while Jack supports her by holding the waistband of her pants.
Today, she's wearing a sun dress. There will be no assist from Jack.
I put my arms under her arms and give her a bear hug. I'm going to have to lift her up on my own so I get closer to her than normal.
We go on the count of three.
One.
Two.
Three.
I have her up...but I'm too close to her. I don't have the leverage to move her into the seat of the car.
She groans as her right foot gives way. I now have all of her weight on me.
I start to tip to my left and I can feel her begin to panic.
YOU.
WILL.
NOT.
FALL.
I can feel myself on the verge of losing it when I make a come back that Hulk Hogan would have been proud of.
I get her back fully upright.
And into her seat.
I look into my Mom's eyes and promise her.
"I will not let you fall."
When my cousin's daughter was little she would startle as she was dozing and so I used to sing to her about how I wouldn't let her fall.
ReplyDeleteRight around the same time was when my dad started to fall often (NP Hydrocephalus instead of ALS). This post and the previous ones feel like you are inside my head. I have had the same thoughts and it's nice to know I'm not the only one...