Sometimes sad can't be avoided

It's Thursday night and it feels like I'm at the end of a long weekend. I'm not...I worked yesterday. Maybe it's because Rob's been around. He's on Spring Break and came down on Tuesday night and left this morning, Thursday. We haven't had this much time together in ages. I really miss our weekends together.

I spent the day...are you ready? At my parents!! At my second home. I thought it was going to be an easy day there since all the flooring was installed Tuesday and Wednesday. I thought I'd just be putting things away. Wrong. Dust covers every surface and I should have anticipated that. At first I was so frustrated and depressed about it. My sister Lisa texted that she'd be at the house Friday night and Saturday and she'd be working on it too. My brother said it took more than a day to take everything out of the house and it would take more than one to put it back in. I wound up staying 7 hours and got a whole lot done. The floors look fabulous. My mother's very depressed. I spoke to her on the phone this morning. She complained that she was cold and that the carpet had probably kept the house warm. I said it was also a fall hazard. She told me she didn't call for a speech, just to tell me what to get from the grocery store. That shut me up. My mom fell yesterday and got a lecture from everyone. She was speeched-out. Yes, another fall, but she's OK. My brother stopped by today while I was there and he and my mom were in the garage for a while. When they walked into the house my brother said, Mom says she's depressed. He said, Mom, you have nothing to be depressed about. I said, to her ear, I'd be depressed if I were you and it's OK, and I hugged her. She cried. It's all very sad. As she went to bed I hugged her and told her I'd never leave her. And I mean it. The stroke really stole my mother's life, and every year since then has been downhill. I wouldn't want to live her life. That's why I want to help so much...because I love her and her life is so hard. And so sad. I'm hoping she'll feel better as her house gets put back together. Life has been hard on all of us since my parent's last hospitalization and inpatient rehab. It's been especially hard on my mother since she's been home (my dad seems fine). I'm hoping tomorrow is a better day for her. She has Amanda overnight and all day tomorrow. My nephew and his friend are stopping by to hook up the big TV and sound system, so there will be people and activity in the house. My sister will spend the night. Maybe the sun will shine.