By AMY SHANKLAND
Sandwiched
All righty, this week we’re back to a Sandwich Generation topic. I’m sharing my frustration about the forces that have kept me from my mama these first three months of 2022. I wish I were fooling (it is April 1 after all) but all these stories truly happened!
In January, I shared that my husband, like so many others, came down with COVID-19. I certainly couldn’t visit Mom with someone who had the virus in my household, so I told Mom’s hospice nurse to explain to her why I couldn’t see her for a while. Mom no longer answers her phone, which is frustrating.
Just when John was on an upswing and I started to count down the days when I could see Mom again, I came down with COVID. Granted, it was mild, but Mom’s assisted living facility had a rule that you had to be completely symptom free for 10 days before visiting. Sigh.
We made do with a Zoom call that my siblings in Florida joined. It felt like 2020 all over again. Finally, in mid-February, I went to visit Mom after having not seen her for a month. I fell into my normal routine of visiting her two to three times a week … until Monday, Feb. 28.
That day, I wrapped up a meeting with a client and started the drive to Mom’s place. Two blocks from home, on Eighth Street, I hit a pothole and got a flat tire. (Did you know Indiana is the second worst state for potholes? I believe it.) I was grateful that I was close to home so I could fill up my tire and get to Firestone, but once again, I couldn’t see Mom. My schedule was packed until the following Friday.
I texted Mom’s nurse and Mom’s other angels. They then explained why her youngest daughter couldn’t visit once again.
I saw Mom that Friday, March 4, and we had a great time listening to some music from her generation. I briefly returned to my routine, including seeing her after my annual checkup on Tuesday the 15th. When I got home, I left my Mini Cooper running outside to put our trash and recycle cans into our garage. I then noticed a puddle of oil where my car usually sits. I took my car straight to Reggie’s Motorworks near our house.
The good news? Most of the repair was covered under warranty. The bad news? I wouldn’t get my car back for at least a week. And my husband John was working many hours between the Flower and Patio Show his regular sales appointments, so borrowing his car wasn’t an option.
As I write this, I’m planning on seeing Mom on Wednesday the 23rd. That loud sound you hear is me, knocking on wood. Let’s hope this craziness settles down and I can finally see my mama!