At 38, I had thought I could look forward to a couple more years of my usual dark hair color before it went to grey and then white. Thanks to my parents, I think my hair is going to skip the grey phase and head straight for white. My parents have been divorced for over 20 years, but are better friends now than when they were married. When Mom had to go into the hospital this week, he cheerfully agreed to visit Mom with me. That probably should have been a warning sign.
Secret Code
I swear that parents have this secret code they use to communicate when their children are in the room. If it’s adult children, then they somehow agree to change this code every year so I can’t catch on. The goal of this code is to drive their adult kids insane.
Not that we adult kids don’t deserve it. I’m sure I’m responsible for quite a few of both my parents’ grey and white hairs. But, still –!
The Key
My Mom is in the hospital bed, hooked up to a saline IV with monitors all over her chest. The doctors still do not know what gave her a sudden migraine, nausea and numbness on one side of her body. And, very casually during the visit, Mom is smiling and says cheerfully, “Oh, yeah, I had another episode last night. It went away in a couple of hours. Did you know the orderly who’s a big black man is named Babs?”
“Wait — wait — back up, Mom. What do you mean — you had another episode last night?”
“Whatever it was I had before. Sudden pain in the head, nausea and the left side of my body going numb. What do think of a muscular black guy being named Babs? I think he’s Jamaican.”
“WHAT??”
Meanwhile, while Mom’s cheerfully explaining that the doctors monitored her second stroke-like episode and gave her chewable baby aspirin for it, I happen to glance some movement out of the corner of my eye.
My Dad is cleaning his ear with a car key.
“AHH! Don’t DO that, Dad! I already have one parent in the hospital. I don’t need the both of you in here because you’ve punctured your eardrum.”
“But there’s wax in my ear.”
Mom laughed with delight. Dad just innocently blinked at me.
I had to lean against the wall and said, “You two are going to be the death of me.”
They apologized, but I don’t think they were sorry.
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15 Comments
Write a Comment»very good article, 5 starts
This article is real good stuff, informative, much obliged=)
Trav
i want the key
I actually think the grey hair phase is a nice one, gives you that sort of older sexy look.
My husband uses a toothpick for his ear. I cringe every time he does it.
Asithi: you mean he picks his ears with a toothpick?
very great article loved it
very informative good work
Стоять. Прекрати паниковать. Все будет олично. Ты знаешь что делаешь.
Very good post .I really enjoyed.Especially I agree on the point that parents really have secret code to communicate.
Hi,
I am having too much white hair .And now through your post I come to know that it is because of stress.But I don’t think that stress can do this.There could be others reasons for this problem.Anyway I ‘ll try to loose stress.
Obey your parents you will have long life.
I agree with Jordans on the whole older sexier look. Not everyone can pull it off though
My Dad always used to say he didn’t care what colour his hair was…. so long as he’d got some!
I have a friend, 24 y.o. One third of his hair is white. Don’t think he has much stress in his, there should also be sth on the genetic level.
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