That’s Amore

Hello folks, let’s chat…~smile~ My sisters and I have considered it a privilege to nurse Mama during her back surgery and ongoing recovery. It’s only right. The Queen of Us All has spent her life tending to anyone within tending distance, whether they want to be tended to or not, but that’s another story.

For me, one entertaining aspect of all this parent-sitting has been listening to Mama’s phone conversations with her sisters, A.K.A, The Golden Girls. One day Mama was having her phone therapy while I was working on my laptop. She and Judy Lynn had already straightened out half the world. She and Marleta were now going at the other half. They had started with Uncle Stan’s deteriorating health. That’s Marleta’s husband of fifty years. He’s still at home but he’s on oxygen and they keep increasing his levels. I hated hearing that but I must’ve somewhat zoned out for Mama’s worry voice suddenly broke into my thoughts, “Um, um,” she was saying, “He’s not gonna be here much longer.” Concerned, I got Mama’s attention and made a “Who are you talking about?” gesture.

Mama spoke to me over the receiver, “Stanley.”
What?! “Are you still talking to Aunt Marleta?” I asked. Affirmative. “And you’re telling her that her husband is dying?!”

“Just a minute,” Mama said into the phone. “Yes, Shellie. Marleta knows.”

That’s how it is with my people. You pretty much always know where you stand. For further illustration I give you another of my favorite sources of parental entertainment: the humorous exchanges between the Queen of Us All and her long-suffering King. Although, on second thought, the longsuffering title is up for grabs. Papa’s made a hobby out of aggravating Mama. One afternoon she was nagging, I mean reminding him about something he’d been promising to do but hadn’t gotten around to when Papa froze in his tracks.

“Look-a-here,” he said, “Do you know who you’re talking to?”

Ruh, roh. I sensed trouble, but the Queen was unperturbed.
“I’m talking to you, Ed.”

Papa grinned and his eyes crinkled. “Allrighty, then, I was just making sure you knew.”

When it gets hip high, we don’t ask why. We’ve come to understand, that’s amore.

Hugs,
Shellie