Yesterday was moving day for Mom.
After eight weeks in a skilled nursing facility to recover from a broken hip, she was ready to go to a studio apt. in a retirement community. (With extra services as she makes the transition to becoming independent.)
We live about an hour away. It was raining so heavily that, at one point, I literally couldn’t see! I had to use the brake lights of the car in front of me as a guide. Each car on the freeway reminded me of the Pig Pen character in the Charlie Brown cartoons–the spray from the cars looked like clouds of dust. As cars lost traction (including mine at one point) a truck spun out on the freeway, narrowly missing me.
I haven’t driven in that kind of rain since I lived in Houston, Texas.
But it did seem a little like a metaphor…might just be the situation with my parents (Alzheimer’s makes everything complicated)…but every part of the aging experience with my folks seems to be about as difficult as it could possibly be.