Does a parent ever stop worrying about a child? There used to be a public service announcement on TV that said, "Parents: it's midnight, do you know where your children are?" Well, it's 10:17 p.m., and I'm hoping Mackenzie is on her way home from work. But that's what worries me b/c she worked a double shift, which has amounted to an eleven-hour day, and she's going to be tired. Thank God for cell phones and text messaging. I sent her a text to call me when she got off work and was on her way home, and praise be.....she just called to tell me she's on her way. Hallelujah! Now, I can stop worrying. I told her to roll down her windows, crank up the AC, and turn up her radio. It's about a 20-minute drive so, yes, I'll be waiting up until she gets home. So, actually the worrying will stop then. Wow! I sound just like my mother. I know Mom said she worried about me less when I was away at college, but whenever I would come home for weekends or breaks, she'd worry about me all over again. There's a warmth and comfort that comes from having people worry about you, but all that worrying can be crippling.
Dad has been worried about his house, and what will happen when he's gone. Mainly he fears that the state will get control of it after he's gone, or if he has to go into the nursing home. Even when Mom was alive he wanted the two of them to sign their house over to my three siblings and me so that the house wouldn't be included as part of the estate, especially if they would need to go to the home. Within the last several years, however, the state enacted legislation that says a house must be turned over to the dependents at least five years prior to the passing of the owner. Dad's convinced he won't live another five years so it would be pointless to start this process. He says he sits on the porch worrying about this, and I told him it's pointless to worry about it now. We (my siblings and I) will sort it out after he's gone. He'll be in heaven with Mom, and the last thing he'll be thinking about is whether the four of us are arguing over how much to sell their house for. I think it was Abraham Lincoln, or maybe it's from the Bible, but there's a quote that goes something like this, "A house divided cannot stand." I hope my siblings and I can remember this. Continuing the legacy of our parents can't happen if we don't have a united front. Besides, wealth shouldn't be measured by how much we leave behind for others to divide. During these last nine months I have had more conversations w/ my father than I've had for 45 years, and most of our telephone conversations last about 40 minutes every other night. That's wealth..........., and I don't have to divide it w/ anyone.
Kenzie is home safely now. Dad is tucked safely in his bed. Maddy just finished marking all the books in her Bible with sticky tabs. Doug is on the Internet downstairs. All is right in my world. I have no worries, but tomorrow is another day, and I'll have to remind myself all over again to turn all my worries over to God.
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