My husband comes from tough stock. Charlie and Maxine Brown lived overseas for over 30 years teaching in Puerto Rico, Spain, Turkey, England, Germany, and Okinawa for the Department of Defense. They know all about this "moving" adventure that David, Anna and I are about embark on. No question--they have been our biggest supporters.
However, it doesn't make it any easier that they are currently dealing with major health issues. Charlie is losing his eyesight to glaucoma and working through the grief and trauma associated with watching his wife Maxine succumb to Alzheimers.
Uncle Doug, who also makes his living traveling as an independent contractor to countries seeking help with their GIS projects, has been incredibly supportive of us. He's able to make his life work so he can live with the parents and be available to help. He will be the one to put together the major pieces after David's parents make the next inevitable move to a facility with more care.
For those of you reading this who have dealt with "Sandwich generation" issues, you know it's not easy working through parenting the parents. I have incredible admiration and love for what the Brown boys are currently dealing with. Not fun.
Yesterday as we left Charlie's hospital room, he said to David, "Don't worry about me"
That's always been the family motte--his mother would say "I'll do the worrying so you don't have to". The patented response is "Thank You but I will worry anyway".
Of course we are worrying about their health along with the guilt of leaving and the very real possibility that when we leave, it really will be Goodbye to both of them. However, they are all so excited for us to have adventures of our own that it would be a diservice to them to think of not leaving.
I'm proud to be a member of the Brown family and can only hope and pray that our children have inherited these wanderlust tough genes.
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