How Do I Keep It All Going?
Kate called tonight very upset about her wedding. It should be a West Point wedding in 2 1/2 weeks. The pandemic has put all of that on hold. She and Adam are going back and forth with a quick justice of the peace paperwork marriage now and West Point wedding later or alternatives.
Tonight Kate was very down and wondering why time after time she has had to live through challenges others haven’t. If you haven’t read before, Kate was born with a problem with her colon that took ten years to get an accurate diagnosis. We finally found it and had a few years of good treatment before puberty threw her entire body out of control. She spent two months in seventh grade and two months in eighth grade on the couch in agony. Treatment was eventually discovered but at a huge loss to her socially and emotionally.
Now here she is ready to graduate college and get married and naturally there is a global pandemic. To make matters worse Joe is progressing in his Alzheimer’s. Kate would be fine to push off the entire West Point wedding a year but she is terrified where her dad will be then.
If Joe wasn’t a challenge I would totally tell her that they are young and just wait another year even if it sucks. But daily I am seeing him progress and forget things. Tonight he asked with hand signals and words “where the bucket was”. I was able to figure out he was referring to the recycling bucket we keep under the sink. The bucket that has been there for as long as we have been recycling.
As I was talking to and trying to calm Kate, Joe was hovering in the hall. I motioned him away so I could focus on Kate and her feelings. After I ended the call Joe came to tell me he was worried about Kate. He then told me he hoped I had taken the time to calm her and not just hung up on her! Talk about a one two punch. I spent over an hour talking to and reassuring Kate. I told her over and over I will support her decision no matter what. And now I am accused of just hanging up on her.
I know, I know it only comes from Joe being worried and concerned about Kate but crap all I do is take care of this family emotionally. And now, right now he stands in front of me telling about a news story on the spread of the virus and he thinks he will change for bed. My head is spinning and my heart hurts.
