Anonymous discussion · Need to talk
I have left the shop shutter half open and the evening cash is still beside the weighing scale
I have left the shop shutter half open and the evening cash is still beside the weighing scale. I am reading the family WhatsApp messages again and again. My mother fell recently and wants me to stay at the family house for some weeks. My siblings have already agreed I am the suitable person because my shop is nearby and I am widowed. My mother called and thanked me for agreeing, but I only said I will try to help. I did not agree to stay full time. Last month I stayed ten days after another fall. The shop sales dropped clearly, and my adult child depends partly on that income. When they asked why I always agree first and explain the difficulty later, I had no answer. I love my mother. But when the phone rings, first I feel fear and irritation, not only concern. Then guilt comes. I had told my siblings I can visit morning and evening, but no rotation was made. Now my mother expects me tomorrow with clothes for a longer stay. If I close the shop, rent and household expenses will become difficult. If I do not go, what if she falls again? Also my siblings give advice and I must do the daily care. They will say I am making it about money if I say this. Has anyone cared for an ageing parent while running a small shop or similar work? How did you set fixed visiting times without making the parent feel abandoned? I am thinking to go for a few days, but I know how these few days become open-ended.