My friend Joyce



there are only three things more galling than not being able to get on with
what you're trying to do and that is not being able to go on the internet when 
you need to.

If everyone was meant to be on the blessed thing at the same time then the spaces and fibre optic whatnots would be infinite, however on planet earth in this twenty first century we have only incompetence go with.


My friend Joyce

For about three years now I have been caring for a lovely lady called Joyce.  She has dementia among other ailments and is 88 years old.  She must be the most talented person I have ever met with boundless energy.

Her husband passed away some years ago and it affected her profoundly as they were married for 58 years.  The fact that her children had fuedes that kept them largely estranged from each other and their parents was a constant bitter distressing mark for their mother especially.

When I started looking after her none of the children and grandchildren visited regularly in fact only one son came about twice a year. when the visit took place money was needed for petrol and to pacify the situation of inconvenience and effort.

Slowly after much asking and patience I encouraged a more amicable situation where the son even brought one
grandson over whom his grandmother did not recognise as the last time she saw him, he was two weeks old.

I notice however, that subsequent visits demanded that money must be ready for collection and if this did not happen there would  be traumatic occurrences and lengthy pleading telephone conversations where Joyce would be imploring and ingratiating herself to secure another visit.  As you can imagine this was extremely distressing and detrimental to her health. 

Where are the compassionate tendencies of adult off-springs towards their elderly parents.  Then out of the blue one daughter who lived some distance away, decided that her mother must be moved and the property that her parents purpose built for their retirement and to live out their lives, must be sold for development because 
that is now the best use for it.

With the premise that her mother would be better off nearer her home and children, she was forced to take the matter to court because of the disagreement of the other siblings.

Where were social services for this poor vulnerable lady's protection, why did no one listen to the full-time live-in carers, the many friends that regularly visited this lady, the hairdresser that she knew for 50 years, her neighbours and off-springs that wanted desperately to keep her in her home.

Even before the move ,this insensitive dispicable daughter started destroying her mother's amazing garden, that Joyce planted over the years.