Monday, March 27, 2006

GROWN-UP

Do you ever drift into a place when being a grown-up seems too much, too hard, too stressful?

Do you ever have those nights as an adult, when you wish that your mother and daddy could tuck you into bed? That they could sit by your bedside until you drifted off to sleep?  Maybe even read you a story and sing you into dream land reassuring you that everything would be OK?

Do you ever wish that you could still be a grown-up but have the comforts of being cared for as a child? Just during those  times when the grown-up stresses get to be too much?

I do visit those safe places of my childhood but I do not stay there long. If I did, I would have to give up the rights and privileges of adulthood.

Peggy is in a perpetual place of childhood. She lives in a world of being taken care of and told what to do, when to eat and when to go to bed. She has lost the privileges and rights of adulthood.

She sleeps and eats well and seems happy most of the time. She lives in the childhood place of Alzheimer's disease.

 Sometimes, when all of the stresses of adulthood get too heavy and seem too much, I wish that I had my momma and daddy close to reassure me that everything will be OK.

I resite in my mind those learned lessons from my parents so long ago as I think about Peggy but........

There is just something about the voice of my mother and the big hands of my father's wrapped around my small hand that always made me believe that everything would be all right.

In the remembered voice of my mother and the remembered touch of my daddy, I can believe everything will be OK with Peggy.

It is in the reassurance that my mother and daddy taught me so long ago that I can feel reassured that Peggy will be OK.

Maybe, not in the way that I want her to be OK but she is OK because she is living in a place where she is cared for and looked after.

I know this because I can feel the reassurance of my youth.

I know that.... somewhere inside of Peggy, mother and daddy are close and I know that...

She feels it too!

I Love You Today, Peggy!

Mary Louise

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great entry I do wish I had those moments.. but we cant can we? I stop to admire my kids how they can play care free without the worries and stress we go through everyday to main tain a beautiful home, there own rooms, food on the table etc.. and when crap hits the fan I sit back and say how nice it must be to be a kid and not have this I wish I was there lol and the funny thing is we wanted to grow up fast didnt we LMAO

Anonymous said...

Mary Louise, The places you mention are great to have.  I go to mine often.  Thank you for putting them into words.  Great pictures!  We must be close to the same age as you pictures look much like mine, just different faces.  Take care, David

Anonymous said...

Beautiful sentiments, which apply to us all.

Anonymous said...

Right on it Girl!  God and your parents are not far from Peggy or you.
I'm glad you are comforted by that fact.
love,
Wendy

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful, thoughtful entry.  

Anonymous said...

I can surely understand your wanting to be in your mother's lap again or embraced once more by your father's strong hands.  I have those same feelings.  I'd like to go back to 1805 Saint Charles Ct and sit in the living room or around the kitchen table.  Those were special places for me and are important to my remembering.  Your parents were very important to me - I love them and I'm thankful for what they shared with me.  JOHN