Sunday, April 27, 2008

A saint, I tell ya!


I have figured out what I did to get those flowers. Well, maybe not but I should certainly get points for patience!


My mother is turning 80 this year. She’s a tiny little thing who has emphysema and falls down a lot. I have talked about her before and our struggles as a family with where she should live and what would be the best situation for her.


She got divorced a few years ago and after a couple of false starts – tried having her live with me, then my sister, now she has settled in with my brother quite well. It seems to be working better for her as she needs to know there is a man in the house. If the water heater goes out, he will know what to do. If she needs something fixed, he will know how to do it. Trouble with her car – my brother being a man – will know how to take care of it. At least that’s what she believes and it is very comforting to her to live with a man, even if it is her son.


He however, is not a computer guy. So she calls me. Today she wanted to set up her profile on Etsy so she can sell some of her artwork. There is more to it then just setting up the profile, the shop announcement and shipping profile. In order to list items you have to have pictures and those pictures cannot be above a certain size. You also really want to have more than 1 picture of any item you are selling.


Two hours on the phone later – Mom had her Etsy profile set up and had resized maybe – oh – 4 pictures using Paint. TWO HOURS. FOUR pictures. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the phone? Yeah. Not to mention the fact that I had to repeat each instruction over each and every time she needed to do something, it seemed as soon as I told her – she would do it - and then forget it.


I really hope my daughter is able to be that patient with me and keep the irritation out of her voice for that long on the phone with me someday, because that’s MY future for sure. Or maybe I’m just going straight to hell right now for even BEING irritated with my elderly mother even though I didn’t let it show.


Right now I think I should sprout wings!



7 comments:

  1. I have times where I have to be patient with my mother that I just.don't.want.to.

    So I understand.

    My mother, however, would never in a million years go anywhere NEAR a computer except to see what pictures I may have on it.

    I think your mom sounds fantastic...Etsy...crafts..computers..and a wonderful daughter to boot!

    Can't beat that with a stick!

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  2. I wonder if I get impatient because I am afraid that when she forgets what I just told her, goes up when I say down, and clicks left when I say right - that I am looking at myself in 30 years.

    Nah - it just annoys me! :)

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  3. lol My Nan is 85 and I loose patince sometimes then feel guilty as hell afterwards :( My Dad I swear is turning into a computor geek lol he spends everyday on it!!

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  4. I think it's great that your mom is interested in the computer. My dad won't touch it. My husband spends hours teaching his mom how to do things on there too. She writes everything down but still manages to get into trouble immediately after my husband leaves or is done talking to her on the phone. He is much more patient with her than he is with me. I know it would be irritating to me too so I can empathize with you.

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  5. I love the sound of your mum - she's got guts going on the computer!! Mind you, that's so easy for me to say because she's not my mum! Well done you anyway!! They say patience is a virtue! ;O)

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  6. I'm sure it is annoying but how wonderful to have a Mum of 80 that is on the computer and driving.. I'd love to have my Mum around to show her a few things!

    Try not to get too irritated :)

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