What's new

Changes & settling in

readingfool

readingfool

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2015
Messages
1,142
So, we've been here with Mom a little over a week now, and things are going fairly well. The trip itself was uneventful and the cats even settled down & stopped growling after the first 100 miles or so. I've got my room set up for work & sleeping, and while I could use a little more organization, it's not so cluttered that it makes me crazy. My cats & Mom's cat made friends way faster than any of us imagined, so that's been a blessing. On the one hand everything feels normal, and on the other hand, I was setting here last night & it just kinda hit me "I don't feel like myself anymore". Which was followed pretty quickly by "Of course I'm still me, I'm just in caretaker mode now, so I should have expected to feel different", which was followed by a whole bunch of other pep-talk thoughts about adjusting to the new circumstances, etc... I finally got a page started about it, though I'm not quite sure where to go with it, but it'll come to me. Overall, life is good, just different, but change is what it's all about anyway, right? :)
 
Thanks for updating us!! I have been hoping that it was going well for you! YAY for the cats making friends! I really hope that you can start feeling more like yourself. Finding a new normal and embracing the changes that have come. I really do think you are quite amazing for willing to take the roll of caretaker. It's really admirable and I hope many blessings come your way and things settle. Change is so hard but definitely can bring about some good and positive things.
 
Being a caretaker is such a challenging role to take on. I wish you the best as you settle in. I'm sure your mom is thrilled to have you there. Hopefully as you acclimate you'll find a way to keep your sense of self. Hang in there!
 
Happy to hear it's going well so far! Yay for cats getting along. I'm sure that's a relief. Hugs, and keep us posted as you get used to everything. Change is good, happy, hard, and everything in between!
 
oh Shelli! It sounds like it going way better than expected, and change is amazing both good and bad...I love your attitude about it, and can't wait to see the page (and pages) that are born from this!
 
Cats getting along is a HUGE deal. :) I'm so glad you are feeling settled in and that things went smoothly. I'm sure there will be bumps in the road as you get accustomed to a new role. Being the one who cares for others is such a hard (but rewarding) thing. I'll be waiting to see how you process this whole thing creatively. :)
 
I know there will come a time when I will need the assistance of someone and I just hope I have at least one child willing to help. Your mom is blessed to have you and to uproot your life and move in to help take care of her is a huge deal. Just don't forget to take care of your needs as well. As caretakers we sometimes forget that.
 
I'm so happy all the cats are getting along and you don't have that to deal with. You are a blessing to your mom! We have been a caretaker of my father in law when he needed it. Moved him into our den. It was hard, really hard. I would not of change that time in our life for anything! Also it showed our children that it is important to take care of your loved ones.
 
Shelli,
I totally missed you moving to your mom's house. Talk about Mother Goose and the role changing. I am so happy stuff is going smoother than you expected. Remember to take time to yourself.
 
I can't add much more than what these lovely ladies already added. Life is often about changes, some of them are seamless and others take a while to feel like a good old pair of shoes. I imagine the transition period still has more blessing for you ♥
As my Mom's care taker when she was battling cancer, it was super important for me to find things that were a comfort for me. Things that I would have done before that I enjoyed - taking "me" time. That was all. Sending out positive thoughts for you both and those sweet furbabies♥
 
Shelli, I just picked up on this. Your mom is CarolW (from various galleries) isn't she? I always admired her digital work, it was always fun, unexpected and quirky. (And I mean quirky in a great way). Give her my best, please. Change is something we all deal with at one point or another. And being a caretaker is admirable. I am sure that your mother is so appreciative that you are there by her side. Take care.
 
What a wonderful thing you are doing for your Mom. I hope things settle down and you get into a new normal for your caretaker role. Hugs.
 
Glad you are settling in. It will be an adjustment for sure but such a blessing for your mom.
 
Thank you all for your support, it means a lot to me! Today is Mom's birthday, so there were a few surprise calls & packages, along with the ones she expected. Tomorrow night we'll have her actual birthday dinner, since I had to work too late for it tonight. Next week she's getting a new power recliner to replace her old one, so she's pretty happy with all of that, and when Mama's happy, everybody is happy!

shaynesgirl said:
I'm sure your mom is thrilled to have you there.
Click to expand...
I do believe she is....she said the other day that she didn't realize she was lonely, until she wasn't alone anymore.


mcurtt said:
Shelli, I just picked up on this. Your mom is CarolW (from various galleries) isn't she? I always admired her digital work, it was always fun, unexpected and quirky. (And I mean quirky in a great way). Give her my best, please.
Click to expand...
Yes, that's her!! She'll be so tickled you remembered her, though I can't promise her memory will be quite so on point.

Sokee said:
....it showed our children that it is important to take care of your loved ones.
Click to expand...
It did occur to me somewhere along the line that I'm setting a good example for the kids, for when I'm the one who needs help.

Shari said:
I know there will come a time when I will need the assistance of someone and I just hope I have at least one child willing to help.
Click to expand...
My oldest has said since he was very young that he wanted to be able to take care of me when he grew up, so I think I've got at least one I can count on. My daughter's always said she'd "throw me in a home", but I'm pretty sure she was joking - sure hope so anyway!
 
I'm glad to hear that you're settling in at your mom's and I really hope the birthday weekend goes well. You are certainly a blessing to her for doing this.
 
Back
Top