Take a deep breath
This is one of those times when news comes fast and furious, emotions accelerate, and anger takes over.
I know that’s been true for me. Unfortunately, in addition to the crummy news—the embassy attacks and murders, the press’s unconscionable reaction, and continual indications that there’s an excellent chance Obama will be re-elected despite what a terrible, destructive president he’s been—I’ve been dealing with several crises involving my mother’s health. Some of you may have followed her story: she’s 98 now, and things are really starting to unravel. It’s been going on for several weeks, including two longish visits on my part to New York.
And so I’m trying to calm down. It does no good to stress myself out unduly. But if I’m a little less coherent than usual, you’ll know why.
Attend to your family and yourself….that is what is important.
Sorry to hear this, neo. Best wishes to you and your mom.
I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.
I found myself supremely angry last night too thinking about the empty chair and the amount of disinformation this election cycle and people’s lack of clarity.
From Julie Roginsky to Debbie Wasserman Shulz to Bill Clinton and Obama himself – I don’t know how the Democrat party has even 20% support.
I can UNDERSTAND people not wanting to trust Republicans who also increased spending – but to trust Democrats more? Really?
And over issues that sandra fluke raises? I’m beside myself like Dennis Miller. Grow the hell up. I’ve NEVER EVER EVER thought that my girlfriend should be getting contraceptive coverage from some other payer like insurance or the government.
I’m a man making a choice. Let me be a partner.
The democrats seem to want ZERO personal responsibility
NONE.
Democrats – ZERO PERSONAL RESPONSBILITY people!
Neal Cavuto questioning Ann Romney showed Ann Romney’s intelligence. OMG. WOW.
Totally impressed.
Wow. She’s the adult in the room for sure. Wow.
Nothing in this world is as important as Family, and you to them. You will all be in our prayers.
sorry neo so many posts.
Romney is 48% to Obama’s 45% according to Rasmussen
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/obama_administration/daily_presidential_tracking_poll
I’m very sorry about your mother, Neo. I’ve read your posts about her and they always make me smile.
Make sure you take care of yourself during all of this. About 4 years ago, during one horrific month, I discovered my ex driving drunk with my son, my dad was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor, and my brother was sent to Iraq. Stress can really do you in if you’re not careful.
My thoughts are with your mom.
God’s blessings to you and your mother.
There is a certain parallel between your mother and the fate of our nation. The next few weeks will determine whether we might survive as a democratic republic. Or if we’ll begin an irreversible slide into something much darker and uglier.
My prayers will be for the nation; and for the very best for you and yours.
neo,
Please put yourself (and your mom) ^first^; please do not worry about this blog. I ^know^ we’ll all be here when the situation is resolved.
Do what you gotta do.
God bless you and your mom . . .
M J R
Thanks for the kind wishes.
Problem is, I can’t race down to NY every time my mother takes a turn for the worse (well actually, I could, but it is very hard). And who knows which turn is THE turn?
I haven’t written about it on the blog because I just haven’t felt up to tackling the subject so far, but I just got back last Sunday from over a week in NY, and I had been there for a few days the week before, too. It’s a really messy and upsetting situation, which I may write about some time when I feel up to it.
So despite the stress right now, I’m home, business as usual—so far.
Neo, what Lee said and ditto to OB’s sentiments.
Baklava,
For the left, advancing “the cause” is the only value.
For clueless liberals, the personal gratification of ‘feeling good about themselves’ is their highest aspiration.
When you abandon faith in a beneficent creator and hope for a better afterlife, what else is there?
My thoughts are with you, Neo.
…prayers from me too, neo.
I’ll take that deep breath. Then send a prayer for your mother, you, and the rest your family.
I’ve followed your Mother’s journey (through you of course) for what seems many years now. This news fills me with such sadness, for you especially. Please take care of your needs as well as hers. Oftentimes it seems impossible to do both but it’s not. I pray for your Mother and wish the best for you. Forget the blog, we’ll be here as MJR said above.
The media is fooling only their choir both in regards to the nature of the Muslim attacks and Obama’s “lead.”
I pray you and your mother will find comfort and strength in the eternal purpose God has provided in all phases of our lives.
Prayers for your mother. I have to back away every so often myself. I think I swore to until the election, but failed to keep that promise to myself.
I’ve been waiting for you to weigh in on the mess in the Middle East all day, and the gross, absurd, media-abetted lies of Jay Carney. But now that I read your post, I see that I shouldn’t get so obsessed by the world of politics. It restored my perspective.
So sorry about your mother, and I’ll be thinking about you too.
Curtis: yes, but how large a choir is it? That is the question.
I’m sorry about your difficulties and stress, Neo. I have both of you in my thoughts.
Best wishes to you and your mom. I hope you will find some comfort in knowing our prayers are with you, and we will be here to listen, whenever you want to share your thoughts.
Take very good care of yourself. You need that to deal with your life and your mother’s. The rest of us will await your posts, when you can do them. They may be therapeutic for you now. Don’t overdo.
Sorry to hear about your mother. I can definitely understand the uncertainty of the situation, wondering which bad turns are urgent and which are not. Sending good thoughts your way.
You have to put your own well being first neo. You can’t handle this situation without preserving your own strength. You have everyone’s sympathies for your situation; and our sympathies for what your mom is going through. The end of our days or weeks or months or even years can be difficult.
My mom lingered on for 2 years. It breaks your heart to witness the decline of someone who was such a crucial source of love and caring in your life. May you find peace and tranquility in the days ahead.
God Bless both you and your mother.
When the stress appears overwhelming please remember to step back and take a deep breath (literally and figuratively).
Best wishes.
Neo, am thinking of you and your mother. My 93-year-old step mother, Mary Pope, died this summer just after I arrived in Wyoming. It’s amazing because over the years and especially the last few months, we said everything we needed to say to each other. She unburdened herself of some of the deepest burdens of her heart as I simply listened. Our last visit was epic though I didn’t know at the time it was our last.
Do re-set your priorities while she wanes so you won’t have even a small regret at the end. Grace to you.
Webutante: thanks for your thoughts, but unfortunately my mother is long past that point.
It’s a long story, but the gist of it is that it’s been a long slow mental decline, as well. Now we are faced with some decisions about how aggressively to intervene with her decline.
Time can be a cruel and inexolerable thing. Have strength and within your capabilities do your best and trust in God. I have the same situation to face in the near future.
Take care Neo. Sorry to hear this.
I was there not so long ago with my dad, racing from here to there, racing home, frantic phone calls with siblings and doctors, racing back, racing home. In the end I wasn’t there for The Turn. But at least I was there just before, at the last time he could have known it. I’ve had to make peace with having done the best I could, though it wasn’t the best I wanted to do. That’s how this is. Every choice is harder than the one before and each one feels as possibly wrong as it is possibly right, and that’s as good as it can be. I hope for peace for all of you.
I lost my Mama a year ago in October. My prayers for both of you. You are dear to us, and therefore, so is your mother.
So sorry to learn the news about your mother. Take care of yourself. Praying for you both.
What a time. Prayers for you and your mom. And for this nation. God help us all.
Prayers up for you and yours…
I’m sorry about your mother, Neo. If you don’t post as much as usual, we’ll all understand.
As everyone else has said, very sorry about your mom.
My thoughts are with you and your mother, Neo.
No matter how many years you are blessed to have together, it’s always difficult to face losing your mom. Will say a prayer for both of you.
Add my prayers to the others. You mean a lot to us, neo.
I was fortunate to live within 10 miles of my mother for all of my life. It was easy to help her in her final years and I feel relieved that I was able to be with her. My sister, on the other hand, lived hundreds of miles away but flew in often to visit and do whatever she could for my mom and for me. We had the wonderful and blessed Hospice to come in and take over when we were too exhausted and overwhelmed to do what was necessary.
You must remember that you can only do so much. It is in God’s hands after a certain point. Your mother would want you to be sure to look after yourself in this stressful time.
God Bless your Mom, N-Neocon. Prayers for her comfort and for her daughter’s continued strength.
Very sad to hear. We all bear our crosses. My Mom is still in assisted living she lives in a world of her own but still recognizes me, and the family. her eyes are cataract but she doesn’t have the mental ability to stay still for cataract surgery. The Glaucoma in her eye is no better but no worse which means she sees lots of shadows. She has forgotten the deaths of all her siblings and believes the last brother is dead when he is not.
her biggest desire in life is a three bedroom apartment where she can put her furniture.
She is 82
Prayers that all will go as well as it can with you and your family. There were some very very hard months with my mother-in-law where she was deteriorating but still in her home with no specific way to get her into a dementia facility. Fortunately she had a minor fall that was discovered immediately, which led to an ambulance trip to an emergency room, which led to the ability to discharge her directly to a very good dementia facility. Six months later she had a stroke and we had to make a hospice-type of decision. Not easy, any of it, but in hindsight we did the best that we could and she was well-cared for and pain-free in her last months.