I Failed

Brent assigned himself to make sure Eddy gets exercise and stays fit.  He suggested that we buy him an adult recumbent trike.  “No way.  $3000.  We can’t afford that.”  Brent reminded us that we had given everyone else cars that cost more than $3000.  Good point.  Eddy and I got adult recumbent trikes that have been the joy of our lives.  As Ed says, “It gets me out and about.”  We ride faithfully every day except when the roads are slick.

Another time, Brent convinced Ed to go downstairs and get a drink of water every hour.  He has faithfully done this for years.  Every hour on the hour.

This summer when they came to visit, Brent told Ed he should take a little walk around the cul-de-sac every hour when he gets his drink of water.  “Not in this heat,” Ed exclaimed vehemently, as only Ed can do.  As always, Brent was persistent and won him over. 

The day Brent and Jan left to go back to Missouri.  August 1:

When he came back after his dinner break, he bragged, “I’m finally getting the hang of it.”

2:55 PM

“Mind if I do the circle?”

“Fine. I’m so proud of you.”

“I’m proud of Brent for getting me into this.

I’m going to get a drink then do the circle.

I’m going to get my shoes on first.

I’m finally doing my favorite thing.”

Returning home:

“It’s fun to do that, Mom.

It’s fun to do the circle.

I’ll be out there again this evening.”

“I love this cul-de-sac, Mom.

I’m going to do it every day.

Weather permitting.”

I failed.

I wanted to go over with Amy when she had a cyst removed from inside her mouth since we were out of town when she had two stomach surgeries a few years ago and she has never forgiven us.  When we first got to the plastic surgeon’s office, they told her he was delayed at the hospital and it would be a 45-minute wait.  After 45 minutes, they said it probably would be another 45 minutes, would she like to reschedule?  No.  She has to go to school next week.  It was Friday afternoon.  Verla was coming on Saturday.  I hadn’t vacuumed or cleaned bathrooms since our company left; I needed to get home.  “Would you like to go for a little walk while we wait?” Amy asked.  “How about if I go home and you call when the doctor comes in?”  She thought that would be fine but she didn’t call until she was all through so I missed her surgery again.  Then, of course, I didn’t take good care of her when she got home.  "Mom was busy vacuuming and didn’t even check on me.”

DeRay was going to have an abscessed tooth extracted and needed someone to go with him in case he needed medication.  I rushed through the morning to be ready to leave at 10.  I ran down to get a blood test while he was in with the oral surgeon.  When he came out I asked him if he bled to death.  “They didn’t do it.”  “What?”  I thought maybe they decided not to but no, because he’s on Coumadin, they won’t do it unless he’d had his levels tested within 24 hours.  So we went home and he dropped me off while he ran to the doctor’s office and then he drove himself down and back.

I failed again.

And they are both such invalids and in such pain, I have to do everything myself.  You’d think I’d get some help out of Eddy, but NO, he’s so busy taking his walks every hour he hardly has time to unload the dishwasher anymore.