Well, now I'm convinced it wasn't me that was adopted...it was my mother!!
Everyone thinks my grandma is the sweetest thing ever. Yes. She can be. When it comes to everyone but her family.
Used to, we'd invite grandma to come stay with us for the holidays or go on a trip. Grandma's reply was always, "Maybe. We'll see." She would never commit. She was always waiting for a better offer.
She'd rather spend her time with her sister and her sister's family than with any of her own. So, we quit asking.
Now, one of her daughters has been diagnosed with breast cancer. It was caught very early. The prognosis is great. The doctors are very optimistic.
Grandma needed to be told.
Family was gathered for a casual dinner. At the end, her daughter tells grandma she'll be having surgery within the next month to have a cancerous lump removed. Without missing a beat, grandma says...
"I've got a lump under my arm I've had for a long time. Got another one under the other arm."
[crickets]
I looked at grandma. I was totally dumbfounded...speechless.That doesn't happen often for me.
I reiterate to grandma... "Grandma, she has a CANCEROUS lump."
"Yep. I know."
[crickets]
Check, please!
About 10-15 minutes later, grandma finally inquires about some VERY minor details. And then made a very simple and distant comment, "You better get that taken care of." Not a whole lot of warmth or compassion was radiating out of grandma tonight. The ice tea was warmer.
When I dropped her off at her apartment, grandma just said, "Bye. I had fun. Food was good. Talk to you later."
[crickets]
I'm totally speechless. Totally dumbfounded.
Maybe she needs time to process what she heard.
Maybe the lump under her arms has spread to between her shoulders.
Maybe... nevermind.
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