Be Careful What You Wish For

When I was a little girl - oh, maybe 5 or so - there were 2 things I wished for.  I didn't want to be a mommy (yet).  I didn't want to be an astronaut (yet).  I wanted to be a nurse.  And I wanted to marry my Daddy.

Over the years, I grew to want many different things.  I wanted to be an archeologist, a teacher, marine biologist, a biomedical engineer.  I wound up being cashier, a mommy, a waitress, a bartender and eventually a computer programmer and single parent.  But I never lost my adoration of my Daddy.

My mother, sure.  I lost that adoration. She was the disciplinarian, the time keeper, the rule setter and that horrible horrible person who made me stay in line and would never ever let me do anything I wanted to do.  Like smoke.  Or stay out past 7 pm.  Or stay up late.  Or not do my homework.  Or talk back (freedom of speech?  what was that?).  She was "Mo-o-o-m!".  Said with a sneer and rolled eyes.  Behind her back of course - I wasn't that brave.  Or that stupid.  But Daddy?  Now, he was always on our side.  He stood up to the mean woman.  He thought we were perfect just because we breathed.  How could Mom ever have competed with that?  And having been a Mom myself, I have also been that horrible horrible woman who never let them do anything fun.

Fast forward a whole lot of years.  And where does life find me?  I am my Dad's caretaker, and previously my Mom's too.  I am in charge of the medicine.  I have medical power of attorney.  I spend all day, almost every day, 13 hours a day, with Dad - caring for him, monitoring his meds, his food, his exercise, doing my best to keep him safe.  I am the nurse.

I also do the laundry, the shopping, the cooking, the planning, the organizing and manage the household expenses.  I am the House Wife.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

But be careful what you wish for.  Even when you are 5.  Life has a way of giving us exactly that.  Eventually.