What a Worry-Wart!

Mom is such a worry-wart! She frets over my brother’s hair–it’s too long!  He’s an over-the-road semi truck driver so he doesn’t have to be well-kempt. He’s 50 years old and is still living in the 70’s when it comes to his hair. So what. It’s his hair, he’s a grown man, but she harps on him when he’s here and, when he’s not here, I get to hear it nearly everyday–“I wish D would get a haircut, it’s too long.” At first, I would reply with “Mom, he’s not going to. He’s a grown man and he’s going to wear his hair the way he wants.” After, the eleventy hundredth time of hearing this, I now reply with “Yeh, I know” and change the subject.
Then she worries about Sis’ live-in boyfriend. He is a slug, doesn’t work a real job just gets work as a handyman here and there, he uses Sis as a home to come to and food to eat and other uh–stuff. Yes, he takes advantage of her. Yes, she lets him. But this has gone on for 18 years. It’s not gonna change. Leave it alone, it’s her life. But I get to hear that several times a week–”I wish she’d get rid of him, he doesn’t do anything for her.” Well, Mom, I wish the same thing but it’s not going to happen until J has had enough and kicks him out. There is no physical abuse, no psychological abuse, etc. He uses her, and she uses him so she doesn’t have to live alone. If it works, it works–but I do feel sad for her but, again, not our business.
My other brother, N, is a true gem. He lives 2 doors down and he takes care of  all repairs and maintenance on Mom’s mobile home. He just finished building her a new ramp and a front porch. He is going to replace the skirting before winter sets in. so, I get to hear that several times a week. “I wonder when N is going to get the skirting on?” Mom, he’s got until November to get it done. He works full time and has really bad knees so he needs some rest on the weekends. He’ll get to it when he can.
And so on and so on…….and so on.
Patience, Barbara, patience! Take a deep breath. There ya go, now isn’t that better?—????