Oh I could have bust a gut when I got off the phone with my mother-in-law. She’d called to confess. I have to say it had all the makings of what a teenager does when they know they’ll be found out.
Make no mistake, she would have been found out. And she knew it- thus the call.
Here’s the deal – this year we hired a company (4 of the siblings) to come help with the removal of snow from their driveway and patio area. My mother-in-law is 74 and my father-in-law is 81. Father-in-law has declined a bit in the last few years and just isn’t able to do much in the way of any physical labor.
And I don’t know about you but when you hear that your mother-in-law has been scaling ladders and cleaning out gutters (She repented of that pretty quick!) (And what is it with the old ladies doing this? My grandmother still had her ladder tied to her house until just this last fall when my Uncle Jack removed it. Grandma was 83. Lord help us.) meanwhile your father-n-law sits inside quite emotional because he knows he should be the one out there doing that but he physically can’t- things have to stop.
Thus the family solution to hire this company to help with the snow removal this winter.
Anyhow, my in-laws aren’t the patient sort when it comes to snow removal. When they could, if they knew it was going to snow, they would be up at 5ish or earlier to get started because it was welling on their minds. Even if it was still snowing they would get out there. (Keep in mind it mattered not if they had somewhere to be.)
So this particular day it was getting to be afternoonish and mother-in-law was sure the company had forgotten about them. Out she went to take care of it herself. (She is lucky she is too far for me to drive over just for the sake of taking her over my knee!) Low and behold the company drove past their house about 30 minutes or so after she finished, and seeing the snow was already removed, moved on to their next location.
Why then did she call?
We receive the bills. Each bill clearly states the date and time they came to remove snow. She knew we would wonder why we didn’t get a bill for that day and called to head us off at the pass.
It truly was funny. I never thought I’d live to see the day my mother-in-law would call to confess so she wouldn’t get in trouble! It didn’t work so well, but hey, she gets points for trying. : )
2 comments:
Sounds like Brian's Grandpa who into his late 80's was helping his neighbor with air conditioner repair. Climbing in hot Texas attics and on roofs. We fussed at him for that too!
My husband's dad, from whom we are estranged (though not by choice) is about 86 to 88. My husband and his sister can't quite decide his age. (That tells you how close knit that family was.) Anyhow, according to the neighbors who we call for updates on his health, he is still doing quite a bit outside and takes a motorized scooter to get his groceries.
I've heard it said the longer you keep doing these things, the longer you live.
I hope they bless you with their fellowship and love for years to come, Sweet Jess!
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