My mom - geez. Laying in a bed talking about bad stuff that happened 70 years ago (literally), having an estranged son, a deceased daughter who was estranged (10 years my senior, and she spent most of her years tormenting us all) and me. Yup pretty much now just me. No one else comes around. That’s a big problem when the one person left who comes around is a CALS with a full time, “career” type job. It’s hard to help much when you yourself must hire some helpers.
I just hope even with no kids myself I have done a little better with people in life than to be like my mom if I make it that long. My Brian says he has had a good run. My mother is angry, lonely, and focused on all things negative. I would not say she is full of regret because that requires a taking of responsibility she has never done. She is for sure miserable and has been for awhile now. About as long as her narcissistic personality stopped giving her short term rewards.
ALS is always tragic, but it is not the greatest tragedy. Not by a long shot.
Feeling oddly comforted today spending time with some British friends who have no holiday tradition of the 4th.