It is time again to make the 6 hour trip to visit my
mom. It’ll be good to see her and it is
something I should do, but I have a confession to make. Something I haven’t told anyone (except my husband)
until now. I am a big fat “fraidy cat”
and an extreme “homebody”.
Most of my adult life I have not lived near my parents or
in-laws. My husband and I, along with
our daughter, would always make time each year to take the (usually days long) trip
to visit our folks, of course that meant “Road Trip”, and it was fun. Actually it was just part of our life’s
routine. My husband did most of the driving and we would try to enjoy the
journey, not just get there. We never
minded, it was an adventure we could share together, and being away from home
isn’t all that bad when your family is with you.
7 years ago my mother fell and broke her leg, to be exact,
she broke her femur. So for the first
time in my life I had to get in the car, alone, and drive, alone, to my parents’
house. It was not easy. This began the first of many trips, alone, to
visit and help out my dad and mom, and now just my mom.
I can imagine many of you thinking, “What”? “How bad can that be? I drive by myself long distances all the
time.” Well I don’t, and I don’t like
it. One of the reasons, let me just say
it…I hate driving the Interstate! I
never have. Lest you are pondering my
need for more experience and exposure, I used to drive the Beltway in DC, I
have driven across the country more than once, I have driven all around San
Antonio, population 2 million plus, and a host of other places of extreme
traffic. It isn’t practice and know-how
that I need, it is your understanding. I
can drive the Interstate, I just don’t want to.
This is where the big fat “fraidy cat” comes into play. I am not a physicist and I can’t explain a
lot about physics, but I do know what can happen when vehicles collide at 65 –
70 miles an hour. And I know that statically
I am safer on the Interstate than 2 lane roads, but it just doesn’t feel that
way. So I have found a different way to
go to my moms, a better way, and a more scenic route, which actually is the
same distance, and can be quicker if there happens to be an accident or delay
on the Interstate. I arrive in a much
better state of mind.
I’ve had to make this trip, alone, numerous times now. The hardest was the day after my daddy
died. I know my husband wanted to come
with me, but he couldn’t. Our daughter
was recovering from foot surgery and someone had to stay with her and I needed
to be with my mom right away. (My
husband and daughter would join me in a few days.) It was hard being alone with all the memories
of my dad, thinking of all the things I wanted to tell him, struggling to see
the road through my tears. My precious
husband had filled my Jeep with CD’s of beautiful music that he knew would ease
my loneliness and sorrow. Yes, it was
hard, but I had to do it.
The other thing I don’t like… being alone, going by
myself. That part doesn’t bring out the “fraidy
cat” in me but the “homebody” in me gets really put out. I’m not one of those women that need a night
out with the girls, or time away from husband and home. I love my home, not the building, but the
place, the thought of it, and I adore my husband. Time spent away from either of them is not a
good time.
But, this is something that must be done; it is part of my responsibility
as a daughter, and as an example to my own daughter. I will be off to spend the week with my mom,
to show her I care, to serve her in whatever way she needs, and to remind her
that she is truly loved. I will desperately
miss my husband, daughter, and home, and you won’t see me on the
Interstate. It will be good to see my
mom and it will be wonderful to be back home soon.
