Ok, so if I was lost at 50, certainly today at the 57th anniversary of my birth, I'm really lost. My 90 year old mom picked this weekend to crash and burn, causing an urgent run to another state to get her reluctant ass into assisted living which she has been fighting for the last 5 years. There were many poignant moments there; the blunt discussion about her safety and lack of it at home. The money discussion about how she hadn't really kept up well with the checkbook, despite her convincing language via phone that she was. (The bank said she had $5800; she said she had $2500 - good thing it was in the right direction). The house condition declined with each visit and while she was there, she wouldn't let us see what was really going on - shooing us away from areas. Now it'll be up to us to clear the mess and sell the house. Ugh. Lessons to learn from this:
1. Make sure my kids are listed on my financial holdings so they can move and manage money without me (ok, I trust them)
2. Move near one of the kids - probably the daughter- while I'm well enough mentally and physically to do this. It's a slow, slippery slope to not being able to move.
3. Move to a smaller one story place with this move towards kids. I think you can manage a lot longer on your own with a bathroom and laundry room and pantry all on the same level.
4. Stay involved with your kids and grandkids. They keep you young and with it. They make you pay attention to current events and stuff like cell phones, and DVR's and electronic banking. My mom thought a computer was too big of an expense and she missed out on seeing pictures and easily communicating with her grandkids.
I need to take my own advice. Who knew I wouldn't actually live forever?
posted by Donna @ 10:20 AM
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