Atomictumor

Lordy, no! We’re not pregnant again. My Mom is coming home.

Four or five years ago, my Mom (Grandma Waffle) moved to Florida to pursue a relationship with an inmate, Larry, whom she had met through a pen-pal program. He was (is) serving a life sentence for first degree murder; there was a lot of hope in the beginning that he would be released either on parole, or through a new trial that presented evidence of his innocence. Waffle bought a house in Deland, FL, close to where Larry was incarcerated. After a couple years, and a lot of fighting with the prison system, Waffle and Larry got married.

I have struggled with this. I have no opinion on Larry’s guilt or innocence, but I have never been able to really trust him. I have brought my concerns to Waffle, and she gently reminds me that she is an adult, fully knows the risks involved, that she very much loves Larry and very much feels loved by Larry. This has been a lesson in letting go for me; because in the end all I can do is love her and trust her and….let go.

Anyway, back to the story. At some point, Larry was moved to a different prison over 5 hours away from Waffle, and then again to a prison near Miami. Waffle sold her house and moved to an apartment in Miami; but after only a short time there, Larry had his visitation rights taken away for 2 years. A few months later, he was moved to yet another prison, again, 5 hours from where Waffle lived. Waffle remained in Miami until her lease was up, and then moved to Jacksonville, where she is today.

I’m not going to go into details, but the situation has deteriorated. There are allegations of prison abuse, corruption, conspiracy. Waffle fears that Larry has been abused to his breaking point, and she feels that she has done all she can possibly do to fight the system. She is heartbroken and on the verge of bankruptcy.

So Waffle, with her two dogs, are coming to stay with us.

I am happy and relieved that she is coming home, although I certainly wish it were under better circumstances. We’ve all missed her, and I think that it will help all of us to be around family.

As happy as I am to have her stay with us, there are some practical considerations that have been on my mind. Such as, how do we fit another person and two dogs into our little house that’s already bursting at the seams? It can be done, of course, but last night my mind started wandering and it struck me that maybe we should start seriously looking for a new house. And then it struck me that perhaps that initial thought is a coping mechanism - trying to deal with this period of impending change.  Hmmmm…regardless, I think I’ll be contacting our friendly neighborhood real estate agent for some advice.

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The fact that my Mom is going through this very difficult time at this time of year is not lost on me. It makes me think about the changes that came last year, all the pain and suffering and grief. And the Beauty that underlies it all. It gives me hope. I hope that Waffle can see that, too.