One Last Vacation Story

My mother has a gift for saying stupid things.

Just one example: on our recent trip to Michigan, she kept telling total strangers that she was 86 years old and her doctor, a lovely Sikh man, had suggested that she have knee replacement surgery; however she thought she was too old to go through with it but now maybe she would have that surgery. (After a while I wondered if she was hoping for her own reality show--"86 year old Woman Deciding Whether to Get Knee Replacement Surgery.")

There was a time when I would feel it was my duty to point out to Mom that she was stupid. But in Al-Anon we have two slogans: How Important Is It? and THINK (Is what I’m about to say True? Honest? Intelligent? Necessary? Kind? If not, don’t say anything. )

In this case I happily kept my big intelligent mouth shut.

Amazing how much better Mom and I got along on this trip.

I used to think we could only get along if she changed.

Funny thing that.