A Personal Moment

My Grandmother turned 97 on October 4th. It seems surreal that for almost a century she's walked on this earth and is still in good shape. Don't get me wrong - her pill case would make a college kid drool, but none of them are for major diseases and she goes out on "walkabouts" around the city on an almost daily basis. She's a sharp contrast to those old people in the rocking (or wheel) chairs that are always celebrated by Willard Scott on NBC.

We celebrated her birthday as we do every year. We tell her that just the immediate family is going out to dinner and when she agrees, we add a few friends and family to make her night special. As I sat there last night (the only person under 50), I just observed the conversation and wondered..."when"?

When did I become the family planner & organizer? I'm by no means the patriarch of this ragtag group of senior misfits, yet the uncle that stepped up to the plate is practically absent from our lives. My father - out of state. Somehow the responsibility has been passed down to me.

Don't get me wrong. These annual birthday dinners were my idea. I started them when she was 92. I figured what could you possibly want at 92 years old? You pretty much have everything or have decided you don't really need anything you don't have. I would assume at that age, human relationships are what matter. The connections you made during those 9+ decades are what stands in your mind the most - not the 46" TV you bought last year.

I guess I just somehow missed the "tag" to tell me I was "in". Somehow, in the course of life's events, power switched from the ruling class to me and I missed it. Now it's my turn to make sure all the 70+ year old "kids" ( my mother and grandmother) keep out of the street and get in the car. Somehow now I'm responsible for important date reminders and chauffeur service. Somehow it's now up to me to teach the use of remote controls, cell phones, features on air conditioners and how the satellite TV works. I have to pre-screen dinner options for things I know they don't like and it's me calling around 10 P.M. to make sure they arrived home safely from wherever their adventures led them today. It's also me yelling "why did I give you a cell phone if you're not going to use it" when it's late and I can't locate them.

I'm not complaining. This is life, and it chooses to run it's course regardless of how many comment cards I choose to send in.

I'm just saying that somehow, I missed the email...