And I have to remember the moments, infrequent as they were, that brought a smile and joy to my life. Caring for them made me a better person in the long run. I joke that I got my children while they were in their 60s. What the heck, I had a station wagon, two dogs, and a cat that thought he was a lion, but that's a story for another day.
A group of friends and I will travel yearly to see our football team play a game in a different city. One year, my sister offered to watch Mom while I went. The morning of the game, I got a call from her, telling me Mom had fallen down her cellar stairs, and the hospital would be calling me for permission to treat her. Long story short, she had broken her shoulder, and after surgery to repair it, she would need a month or so in rehab.
Before coming home, I had arranged for adult day care, and my job could exist around her schedule. I would bring her in and bring her home. One morning she was a bit late dressing herself and coming out for breakfast. I walked into her bedroom to check on her.
Her back was towards me, and it looked like she was struggling with her blouse. Asking if everything was ok, she turned to me, and her bra was half on/off, as was her blouse.
That morning, after getting an eyeful, I discovered that I could help Mom get dressed while standing behind her...