Jubilee

As the Nationwide commercial states "Sometimes life comes at you fast.." and that certainly seems to be the case this past summer. Seems like free time is rare as I try to wrestle with all the "crisis" being thrown my way.

If you ask me what is the most important thing in my life, you will always get the answer of family. While my family maybe wasn't the closest growing up, we have certainly grown closer over the years. My sister is indeed my best "girlfriend" and I have come to understand most of the wisdom of my parents, and understand and hopefully learned from their mistakes. While I may not talk to my brother as much as my sis, he is still a very important person in my life, and someone I know I can turn to. My nieces and nephews are truly like my own kids. .and we visit often.

So, when something happens to one of us.. we all circle the wagons so to speak.. and lend a helping hand however we may. I have never wondered about _if_ they would be there.. or if I would be if called upon.

However this summer has brought many disasters that has me wondering when science can clone people.. so I can be in 5 places at once.. With the family being somewhat scattered, it has made trying to care for the multiple needs rather difficult. But how do you gauge where you are needed most?

My parents were in Utah at the beginning of the summer.. celebrating the good fortune that after 2 miscarriages, my brother and sister-in-law were pregnant with their 4th child. They had planned to stay till the birth, which is supposedly at the end of the month. The mother is having severe panic attacks, and the baby is tending to lay on her kidney.. which was a problem in a previous pregnancy.

However, in June.. things took a turn for the worse at my sister's household, and she found herself a single mom of 5 kids, half her income, and a "safety" issue. The now ex-bro in law, had always seemed like a good guy.. but something seemed to click in his brain, and he now was a major liability.. and concern. His behavior those few weeks have brought investigations, court hearings, and multiple other visits/involvements of sorts.

Then after my parents have been back for a couple of days.. my dad got a call from his doctor in Utah (he had been out there for about 6 months) stating the polyps they removed turned out to be cancerous.

So he moved back to Utah to be with a doc he felt comfortable with, as they investigate/treat this issue. He can also lend support to the brother's family as well.. since he is staying there.

So mom is here, helping my sister with daycare issues, transportation, etc.. then she falls. Breaks her tibia, and fibula both under the knee cap, and then tears her ACL. Fortunately she is avoiding surgery, but will have extensive rehab. Did I mention she lives way out in the country? And can't drive due to her injury?

So dad is Utah for cancer treatment, though he has not had any.. 2.5 months after going back! He had an endoscopy to investigate the upper digestive track, and to determine the source of his anemia since it wasn't the colon. (though they did find the cancer there) Silly guy refused to call the number he was given for his test results, saying if it was that important they would call him. He is not taking care of the issue, probably thinking that he will die, just like his 4 older siblings have due to various cancers. .though the last one died 15 years ago.. and treatments have changed! Perhaps Mom should be out there to kick him in the tail. However if mom goes, and Dad stays out there.. that leaves my sister in a predicament. So perhaps I could stay there for a while.. but what about my job, and my son. Who is active in school clubs.. for the first time..I need to work to provide for my family. And what about my Husband.. and home here? However without family.. I am nothing. Its this circle I keep going round and round with.

Work certainly isn't happy about all the time I have had to take off due to family this summer. Of course, they didn't like the idea of me quitting any better... or going to part time. If I move into my parents home temporarily while Dad and mom recover, that is putting my 70 miles away from work. From my kid's school.. And quite honestly, I really am not paid enough to commute that distance. As it is with shuttling people around, and meetings, I have went from a tank -tank and a half a month in gas (kid's school on the way to work, Work is 5 miles) to 4-5 a month.. So working less, spending more.. makes things even tighter. Besides my sister feels that if my folks stayed in Utah, they would be abandoning her in her darkest hour.

oh and there is the small matter of trying to figure out what happened to 170K from the trust my grandmother left, that I was hoping to raid to help pay for dad's cancer treatment. Seems the military's commitment to cover their healthcare meant, providing insurance, but still having to pay 10-15% of the costs.. And it is amazing how the bank can't seem to get those ledger copies to arrive (they claim they sent them 3 times now) and the lawyer who handled the probate won't produce the ledger for the probate either.

The community they are closest to is one that has high un-employment and 2 opticals.. make that 3.. with Walmart. So pickings would be slim. However I am not above knocking doors or chains if it means putting food on the table and helping the family.

*sigh*