Chapter 18 Decisions

Chapter 18 Concerns about growing older.

My best friend, Nancy, is a few years older than me. I was seventy-one in January and four days later, she turned seventy-nine. We met in 1988 while I was teaching first-grade in Germany. Her classroom was next to mine.

Nancy probably told me at the time that she lived in Texas, but to be honest, I didn't remember. One day at church, my husband pointed. "I think you know that lady back there."

I did! It was Nancy. I ran back, and we hugged. Since then, we've had lunch every Monday together and talk constantly on the phone.

I've tried to get Nancy to join me at the gym. She attends about once every other month. I've taken her numerous times to the ER for various ailments and falls. Each time the diagnosis is related to lack of exercise and not drinking enough water. At some point during our conversations, I ask, "Have you been drinking water?"

Her latest response, "I don't have time to drink water."

I kindly said, "That's an excuse. You have time to drink water." I was frustrated.

For Christmas, I got Nancy a Fitbit so she can check her steps. If she gets over 1000 steps a day, that's worth celebrating.

A couple of days ago, she called, "I have a colony of rats in my attic. The pest man is coming to get rid of them."

We both agreed that wasn't a good thing. She proceeded to tell me many things that needed to be fixed in her home. Her husband passed away in 2020. Since then, she hasn't been able to keep up with maintenance, or to clean her house. She has hired somebody to come in and clean.

I discussed the rat problem with my husband, Brian. He said, "Nancy needs to move into an assisted living center. She can't keep up with her home maintenance. She needs help." Then he asked, "What would you do if anything happened to me?"

"I'd have to sell the house. I can't keep up with routine maintenance by myself. I'd move to an apartment."

"You'd need to get close to one of the boys."

I thought about that and texted Steven, 'If anything happened to dad, could I move to an apartment closer to you?'

His response, 'Sure?'

I became a little concerned at his response but let it go. When Andrew, his family, and I FaceTime on Sunday, I mentioned it to him.

He said, "Mom, Katie and I have mentioned this to you for over a year and you're just now figuring it out. You need to move now, before something happens to either you or dad."

Jeff has been after me for about twenty years to move closer so he's available to help as we age.

I probably should add that Brian, and I are both in very good health. Neither of us are expecting any issues in the near future. My mom told me that her and Dad didn't start going to pot until they reached seventy-five. Mom will be ninety-three in February. Dad died about ten years ago.

Decisions, decisions, decisions.