She ain't crazy; she's my mother

I have a large messy family.

The matriarch of this mess - Grammy.

She's a lunatic! Flat out crazy with a side of just plain nuts. Don't get me wrong; I love my Mother. It's just - Damn. She's a lunatic. She won't cop to it though. It's everyone else that's crazy. She's the only one with sense. Yeah, see what we're dealing with?

She's about 879, in dog years. Not really, she's 74. Medical science has kept her going for the last 10 or 12 years. She has a defibrilator that really works! Shocked the hell out of her a couple of times. She has circulation trouble from coronary artery disease and congestive heart failure so she uses a wheelchair when she leaves the house. To her credit she leaves the house often. Loves her bus tours with her sister Marie. They have a blast. A couple of old ladies hell bent on mischief and fun.

She used to live with us. Back when we first got married. In our apartment in Dorchester and later the house we bought in Roslindale. She stayed with us for five years before she went to Deb and Edwin's. Not sure how long they had her. She's with Laura now. And Eddie. Oh, and the dogs, DeeDee and Bella (a not prettier dog, I have never seen). Sorry Ed but that's an unfortunate looking dog!

She's had a long and sometimes difficult lfe but she still manages to look back on it with joy and love. I never understood it. She grew up one of seven and they really didn't have much. She married Dad and had the five of us pretty quick, except Five (that's Laura, the baby). Dad drank and wasted money. She had to manage on very little. I never heard her complain and I never really gave much thought to her struggle.

As she gets older, I find myself thinking more about her journey. Her experiences. I talk to her all the time. I'm just not sure we've ever had an actual conversation. She is the eternal in our world. Always there. Rarely changing.

Think it's time for that conversation. Bet it's going to be crazy!