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"Ah, the joys of Christian family values. My Mother had a heart problem while visiting my brother and his family for Christmas, and ended up in St. Francis. They took her to Warren Clinic Urgent Care first, and my brother tried to keep me from going to be with her, telling me that they would take care of it and let me know what happened. I told him, "Thanks for the attitude", and went anyway. I forget just how many days she was in the hospital, but I went to stay with her every afternoon. Which was better than I usually get when she's in town - just one afternoon.
Last weekend, I had called to ask her if she wanted me to visit. I heard her tell my brother and his wife that she wanted me to come visit and asked when they weren't doing anything. So I said I'd come over that afternoon, after lunch. That afternoon, I walked in, found her, set up dominoes on one of the dining tables, and played quietly with her for maybe four hours. I left before dinner that evening so as not to impose in a place where I'm not exactly welcome.
This morning, Saturday, I called her there at the same time we usually talk on the phone every week, and asked if she wanted me to visit. This time I heard her say that I wanted to come over and ask when it would be convenient. Apparently, an entire afternoon playing dominoes was too much for them - I could come between 2 and 4 PM. Somehow I didn't take well to rationing my time with my own Mother, and told her to ask them what they wanted to do. I would call her back.
The next I heard, she was going to come over to my place. And climb a flight of stairs to my apartment with bad knees and a leaky heart valve. I thought about that a while and left a message on their phone asking what kind of people would make her do that. Then went out for groceries.
When I got back, I found a message on machine, my dear Christian explaining how the problem was with me being a poor "guest", coming in without knocking, "any time you want, to spend as long as you want". I could come visit her, but I had to let them know ahead of time when I would come and when I would leave. I really have no interest in their silverware, just playing dominoes and visiting with my Mother.
I may not have the sequence of events just right, but at any rate called my brother to remind him that I had been invited that last time, and listened to him play the aggrieved and put-upon involuntary host. Whereupon I suggested that we could discuss in in family court and hung up while he was still ranting.
That is the mentally stable and Christian part of my family. As opposed to me, who takes medication for depression and doesn't go to church anymore. It might have something to do with the way I've been treated. So tomorrow Mom is coming over to climb my stairs and spend an afternoon with me. As opposed to the rest of the week with my betters. The ones with the Christian family values.
She thinks that she can climb the stairs. But then she didn't want to bother anyone about her arrhythmia until she started to collapse, and no heart doctor or G.P. has released her to climb stairs. I hope she's right, and am ready to call 911 if she isn't. I really hate this nonsense. I think that one of us is so full of himself, it's a wonder he can get it back out to take a leak. The Jesus I recall reading about wasn't like that. "
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