The nurse in the family

My mom is a nurse. Has been for 40 years. For the last 16 or 20, she has specialized in home health care, and for the last 15 her clients have all been children born with some malfunction - on trachs (hole in the throat for an air machine) or tubal feedings. Ya know, good stuff.

Her cases change often, as the kids get better (or as her clients die). She works nights - it suits her insomnia. It's a pretty slow pace, considering she only has one patient and they are asleep, although she does need to turn them, check their machines and levels, etc.

She is getting ready to change cases. She usually tells me about these kids that spend months in the hospital. Lately, I just don't want to hear it.

"Yeah, this little girl is lucky, she almost died. Now she needs all this care" yadda yadda. She tells me this the same as she always has, never thinking about how my situtation has changed.

Today, she is telling me how she is between cases, set to start a new one next week, and how she doesn't have any money since she didn't work last week (Oh WAH!) I tell her maybe she can pick up extra hours if she works on a holiday, with double pay.

"Well, I don't want to work New Year's, but I'll work Christmas, it's not like I have any grandkid to spend Christmas with. Oh, did I tell you about your cousins that came to visit..."

That quick little change in topic is her realizing that she is a total ass.

And she wonders why we don't get along...

mexico, Mexico, MEXICO!