Laboring Day
Labor Day was created in 1882 to ensure a "day off" for the working stiff. For Gary and me, today was our typical "day off" - laboring at home and with my parents. Gary started early by mowing the backyard lawn and pruning bushes and plants. That was at around 8 AM when it was only 87 outside. By 10:30, when it was 98, he was cleaning out the fountains, "Keegan's" plastic pool and his barbecue. He drank "fountains" of water because he was a very sweaty guy. Side note - this is when I'm happy he doesn't like garlic or booze, because he never smells bad. He was laboring the same way he does on the worst of his workdays, and today was promising to be another record-setting hot day in So CA.
It's hard for me to claim labor today, but things didn't go as I'd planned. I thought it would be nice to do some laptop research in my air-conditioned bedroom (the only room in the house with a/c). Mom and Jack called last night, both in tears, to say nobody cared about them and they were the only people left at Geezer Palace because everybody's children or grandchildren had come to get them for a barbecue or fun day with family. They were all alone and feelin' blue. And they were out of Scotch.
I shared with them that most of the people who had come to take Grandma and Grandpa out for a joyride were probably visiting for the third or fourth time this year, whereas I see them at least three or four times a week. No response. I asked them what they wanted - always a good question. Mom spoke first, "We want you to take us out to lunch or bring us over to your house for dinner tomorrow." Good, she's being specific, but when did Labor Day become Thanksgiving or Christmas? However, I'm a sucker for them because they are my dear parents, so I said, "How about lunch?" because I knew Gary had work to do around the house and we were having neighbors over for dinner. With respect to my personal boundaries, I know I can't have them for dinner when I have people coming from outside of the family. They agreed to lunch and my Labor Day plans changed.
I picked them upat 11 AM...after I'd done all the prep cooking for the dinner party. We went to Tommy Bahama's, which had a handicapped parking space right in front. It took us five minutes to unload and get into the restaurant, then another three minutes to walk to the table, then another three minutes to take Jack back to the Men's Room, a 10 minute wait, and another three minutes to walk him back to the table, only to find that Mom wasn't there. Apparently she had managed to get up and walk out the back exit looking for us, because she couldn't remember where she was or why she was there. A kind waiter brought Mom back inside just as I had seated Jack and was going to leave and search for her. Thank God Mom remembered to take her cane when she took off, averting a probable catastrophe.
When we were finally seated altogether, the waiter took the drink order. Mom and Jack ordered fancy martinis and I suggested something less scary on a hot Labor Day. They agreed. I was beginning to relax. Long story short, we had a good time - albeit a tad stressful for me - and they were home by 2 PM. When I left them in the lobby, they were greeting friends and telling everyone about the super time they had at lunch and "touring the coast" - a fancy way to say that I drove them around CdM and bought them a bottle of Scotch.
Both Gary and I labored today. We compared notes and decided that our labors were rooted in love - working in the yard and caring for parents. No matter how hot it was outside for Gary, or how challenging it was for me to take the folks out for an afternoon, this kind of labor is fulfilling. Tonight we had a wonderful dinner party with our friends, Linda and Bob, filled with laughter, joy and the cooler evening air. Ultimately, our days off happen when we go on vacation - and those are good enough breaks for working stiffs like us.
It's hard for me to claim labor today, but things didn't go as I'd planned. I thought it would be nice to do some laptop research in my air-conditioned bedroom (the only room in the house with a/c). Mom and Jack called last night, both in tears, to say nobody cared about them and they were the only people left at Geezer Palace because everybody's children or grandchildren had come to get them for a barbecue or fun day with family. They were all alone and feelin' blue. And they were out of Scotch.
I shared with them that most of the people who had come to take Grandma and Grandpa out for a joyride were probably visiting for the third or fourth time this year, whereas I see them at least three or four times a week. No response. I asked them what they wanted - always a good question. Mom spoke first, "We want you to take us out to lunch or bring us over to your house for dinner tomorrow." Good, she's being specific, but when did Labor Day become Thanksgiving or Christmas? However, I'm a sucker for them because they are my dear parents, so I said, "How about lunch?" because I knew Gary had work to do around the house and we were having neighbors over for dinner. With respect to my personal boundaries, I know I can't have them for dinner when I have people coming from outside of the family. They agreed to lunch and my Labor Day plans changed.
I picked them upat 11 AM...after I'd done all the prep cooking for the dinner party. We went to Tommy Bahama's, which had a handicapped parking space right in front. It took us five minutes to unload and get into the restaurant, then another three minutes to walk to the table, then another three minutes to take Jack back to the Men's Room, a 10 minute wait, and another three minutes to walk him back to the table, only to find that Mom wasn't there. Apparently she had managed to get up and walk out the back exit looking for us, because she couldn't remember where she was or why she was there. A kind waiter brought Mom back inside just as I had seated Jack and was going to leave and search for her. Thank God Mom remembered to take her cane when she took off, averting a probable catastrophe.
When we were finally seated altogether, the waiter took the drink order. Mom and Jack ordered fancy martinis and I suggested something less scary on a hot Labor Day. They agreed. I was beginning to relax. Long story short, we had a good time - albeit a tad stressful for me - and they were home by 2 PM. When I left them in the lobby, they were greeting friends and telling everyone about the super time they had at lunch and "touring the coast" - a fancy way to say that I drove them around CdM and bought them a bottle of Scotch.
Both Gary and I labored today. We compared notes and decided that our labors were rooted in love - working in the yard and caring for parents. No matter how hot it was outside for Gary, or how challenging it was for me to take the folks out for an afternoon, this kind of labor is fulfilling. Tonight we had a wonderful dinner party with our friends, Linda and Bob, filled with laughter, joy and the cooler evening air. Ultimately, our days off happen when we go on vacation - and those are good enough breaks for working stiffs like us.
posted by Shannon Ingram | 11:23 PM
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