Thursday Thoughts

Today is a tense day for folks I know and folks I'll never know.  Erica is in Las Vegas with her daughter.  Erica will be getting an up-to-date evaluation of her Alzheimers.  Erica has been turned down for Medicaid.  This is a person who has to have help dressing.  I am now sure how she could have been rejected but she was.  Hopefully, the new evaluation will aid in the approval process.  If approved there will be multiple services available for Erica.  Transportation, health care, and even adult daycare.

When my mother was in her final two years of life it became necessary to seek Medicaid for her.  She had used up all the funds from her savings.  While we sisters did what we could there was only so much three retired women could afford to do.  Youngest Sister #4 spent hours and hours working through all the paperwork, phone calls, and constant checking on the status of the approval process.   Those hours and hours lasted week after week, running into months.  Cierra does not have that kind of time to get the approval of her mom.

The other folks I am concerned for are the Ukraine citizens.  There is not a thing I can do for those folks other than pray.  That is one helpless feeling to not be able to help.  Have to rely on the resolve of national leaders throughout the world.  I know there have been times the US government has been the aggressor.  An example is the destruction of the buffalo herds as a way to defeat the Native Americans.  Slavery has been used from the beginning of time by most conquerors.  No nation can stand blameless.  That does not give any nation an out to look the other way while Putin attacks Ukraine.  I have neither control nor influence on the situation.

Took a lot of years to accept the fact I have zero control over anything except me.  And I do not even do a good job of that.  That is the human side of me.  Cause that is all I am.  A human willing to do what is helpful to those I can.  Guess this is sort of a rambling post.  That is the way thoughts are.  Thoughts that ride on the brain cells.  Unless the cells have turned to plaque.  In that case, someone may help me dress one morning.  A short time later the person looks up and sees me naked.  Will my response be like Erica's?

"Mom, what happened to your clothes?", inquired Cierra.

"They just fell off!" replied Erica.

"Guess we'll just go put them back on and hope they don't fall off again."  Cierra is one good daughter.

And to leave you with a bit of levity, here is Robbie's drawing of the day.  Looks like a Shetland pony with a weight problem.  If you use your imagination.

Y'all all have a safe day out there.  Ice on the trees is melting but I think I'll just stay in and enjoy the warmth of the apartment.

Janice

PS:  Keep an eye on your clothing.  It might just decide to fall off.