No Marathon for me, I'll take a long walk.

My mother is coming for a visit.

If you still have your mother, you may feel something from the words above. My feelings? Anxiety mostly, but excitement. I love my mother very much. I think that my relationship with her is better than any of my 5 other siblings. That relationship comes with a cost. A price I am willing to pay. That price? My home is a preferred destination. My mother knows my children better than any of my sibling's children. Even though I don't call my mother as much as some of my siblings, my children call my mother. I think that is so sweet.

It occurs to me that my children might be "telling" on me to my mother, but she doesn't fuss at me after talking to them, so they get to continue to live under my roof. I'm not sure what they talk about, but I am pretty certain they are not talking about what punishment they are on now. Then they might have to tell "Mommy" what they got in trouble for and they want to keep the rose coloured glasses on my mother's eyes.

My mother has historically come to visit for 4 weeks at a time. This trip will be a shorter one. Two weeks. I wanted to feel bad about cutting her visit short, but I thought back to her last two visits and she has wanted to go home in 2 weeks and I have felt like I am keeping her at my house against her will. I've decided that I'm not even going to fight it. Two weeks and she is free to go.

My mother told me that she doesn't want to go where she is not wanted. She knows that I want her to come for a visit. I have to practically hound her to get her to come. I feel like I have to put on a Vaudeville Show. I just don't have it in me to keep flipping, dancing and doing jazz hands until she agrees to stay.

I realized that I am so much like my mother, it is scary to acknowledge that I will one day be just like her. God willing, I will be more cheerful. I think I have a pleasant disposition.

Like her, I don't like being told what to do, even if it is for my own good. I like to be shown the reason in a course of action and to decide that I agree with it for whatever reason I might have, normally as long as it is not "for your own good." Even though that is the best reason to do anything at all. Right? Shouldn't we all be looking out for our own good? People often don't do what is for their own good and end up having to deal with the Universe's course corrections, putting them back on the path to what is for their own good. Life is funny that way.

So I will soon hit the road to pack her into my SUV and bring her to my home for a couple of weeks. I will read her my blog and perform my poetry for her. She will tell me that I am being too sassy or something along those lines. She will poke at me and I will needle her. I will show her how we make all of our bread now, something that has happened since her last visit. I will boil the bejesus out of some vegetables so they are soft enough for her to eat without hurting her gums.

My current work schedule makes it hard for me to be able to really enjoy my mom because, when she is awake...half the night, I am at work. When I am asleep during the day, she is awake and wondering why I am not up to entertain her or take her to do something. I have a better plan this time. I am going to let her grandson wake her up early in the morning to talk and play blocks, his favorite. I am going to make her breakfast before I lay down to rest. I really like when we get a chance to sit and chat with each other.

My mother is such a smart and clever woman.

So I'm sharpening my wit, toughening my skin and singing a happy tune as I drive down the highway. Soon my hall will be filled with the sound of judgementalism! (I know that is not a word, but you know what I mean!) I will be slightly sleep deprived and my children will get to spend time with their Grandmother.

I wonder what stories she will tell me about the past. I promise to share the good ones.

More to come...Thanks for reading.