Don’t Wanna Be Left Out!

Well, here’s a dilemma! Before I moved here to help care for Mom, Sis always bought her groceries for her. Mom had Sis’ name added to her checking account so Sis could write a check for them. When I arrived, Sis was relieved because Mom’s grocery needs were sometimes things that Sis was not familiar with (she is not a cook by any means) and it frustrated her to no end to shop for Mom. So, I told Mom I could get our groceries from now on. She asked how she was going to write a check when the store wouldn’t let me sign for it without my name on it. I explained to her that I could get the groceries with my bank card, then she could write me a check to pay me back–simple! For some reason, Mom wasn’t issued a bank card when she joined the bank 30 years ago and they haven’t issued her one even though they are available now. Anyway, Mom agreed to do it that way.
The next grocery day, she changed her mind. She said she didn’t want Sis to feel left out–like I was ‘taking over’ for her– so Mom decided to divide the grocery list between the 2 of us! Sis and I are both rolling our eyes at this but Sis doesn’t want to hurt Mom’s feelings by telling her she didn’t want to get the groceries anymore and was happy to have me do it. So, we both go to the store together and get what’s on our individual lists (actually I compile both lists into one and we get them all) then Sis pays for them with Mom’s check.
This is crazy!! Why should both of us have to go when I can do it myself?? Sis is frustrated and I’m just annoyed. But Mom insists we do it together so neither of us feel ‘left out’.
When Brother is here he wants to sleep in his sleep cab in his semi truck which he parks in the drive—that’s home to him and all of his ‘stuff’ is in there but Mom insists he pull out the sofa-bed and sleep in here because she doesn’t want him to sleep in the truck and feel ‘left out’!! So, he gets frustrated and argues with her and usually wins and sleeps in the truck. Now, she’s upset because she thinks he won’t sleep in here because the sofa-bed is uncomfortable so she wants to buy a new on and Brother tells her “No, you don’t need a new one.” And on and on it goes!
Sis eats many of her evening meals at my other brother’s house across the street. Mom asked her to have dinner with us one night, then changed her mind because she was afraid other Brother would feel ‘left out’ and have to eat alone. True, he could have come to eat with us also but when he gets home from work he doesn’t feel like getting back out again to come here.
What in the world is all this “feel left out” business about? None of us have any idea! Our eyeballs are starting to hurt from all of the eye-rolling!