The Unwelcome Visitor

With the holidays so recently behind us, I have a scenario that may help you relate to how I’m feeling. See if you have ever felt this way.

Rewind back to December 1:
The holidays are fast approaching, you have a relative (lets go with Mother-in-Law) visiting that you aren’t necessarily looking forward to hosting. Firstly, she didn’t ask and just assumed she could stay in your home (versus getting a hotel room). Not to mention, she is staying longer than is acceptable etiquette, she smokes, and incessantly talks about people you’ve never met – but she seems to think you know.

You are bitter and angry. Not to mention the stress of going through your entire home to make it perfect, grocery shopping, cooking and keeping her entertained.

You didn’t finish cleaning the house – but you cleaned the guest room and put clean sheets on the bed, did most of the grocery shopping, and the dinner turned out pretty well (at least everything was warm at the same time). Your Mother-in-Law chatted on about all those people you don’t know – but it made the time pass quickly in the kitchen as you realize she isn’t a bad storyteller. She was even helpful and went to the grocery store a few times to get things you’d forgotten.

As you trundle off to bed, exhausted, you begin dreading the remaining days. What are you going to do with her?

You are standing in front of the coffee pot the next morning, willing for it to brew faster, she comes into the kitchen and asks if you’d like to go shopping and to lunch (her treat). You mumble with a crooked smile, “That would be great.”

Now you are dreading the next 4+ hours, but you put a good face on and off you go. While at lunch, you get to know her better as she relates stories about her life and you share some of yours. You stumble across similarities and find commonalities. When brushing your teeth before bed, you are thinking about the day and what a pleasant time you had.

By the time you hug her and she is driving away you realize you are going to miss her a bit. But you squash that thought, and do the happy dance as you walk to your front door singing, “she is gone, she is gone”!

A week later, one of your New Year’s resolutions is to travel to exotic places every Holiday Season (because travel is on your bucket list, of course). But if you were honest, you’d admit that you’ve hatched up this New Year’s resolution to ensure that your Mother-in-Law could never visit again.

Lupus is my Mother-in-Law!

I want to be fair to Lupus. The bad is easy to identify and is hard to deal with at times (don’t get me wrong). But there is a peaceful aspect to this journey; pleasant moments with this unwelcome visitor. You reflect, readjust, and realize life is short. The future opens up to all possibilities because if you can survive this - you can do anything. You make amends with those whom you’ve wronged. Get in touch with those that have drifted away. You let people know you love them. You live in the moment. Life becomes simple, clear and very sweet. It even starts to make sense and you see the connectedness between everything.

I know, strange but true. xoxoxo