And Now For Something Serious

My parents drive me nuts. I think it's a matter of principle with them. But this time around, they're doing an exceptional job. Two points have me worried just generally: They are elderly. They live 1200 miles away from me. Add to this that they are not just elderly, but unwell elderly. Mom is on oxygen, Dad just had back surgery and is now using a walker.

But now they're adding another element that has me nearly bonkers. A bit of history to assist.

• My parents were foster parents from 1975 - 2001.
• Three of these foster children remained for all their childhood.
• One of those children (we'll call her Bertha) is now 35 years old.
• Bertha has not lived with my parents consistently for many years.
• Bertha has visited often and has always caused some problem or another.
• Bertha is bipolar, schizo-affective, and aggressive.
• Bertha is unstable.
• Last year, Bertha was physically abusing my mother.
• Mom didn't tell me until Bertha moved to New York.
• Bertha is moving back near my parents in 3-weeks.
• Mom is convinced that Mom's therapy this last year has made Mom better, so all will be well now.
• Mom fully intends to let Bertha in their home regularly "to help out."

And to top all of this off, Mom laughed when I got upset. How's that for deranged?

Yeah, it's true. A pattern emerges - Mom tries to convince me I'm the crazy one.

Crazy Chelle