It's Simple Really

Either it'll work, or it won't.

"It" being The Grandma Project, of course.

As I understand it, there's been a recent upswing in the amount of concern and general familial angst surrounding the impending move. In particular, whether my grandmother will be happy moving into my house. Scuttlebutt has it that no one thinks it's going to work out, and my impression from what Scuttlebutt has said is that this prediction partially stems from concern over whether I'm going to be too mean and nasty towards her for her to ever be happy living with me.

So if I'm hearing Scuttlebutt right then let's get one thing straight and put it to rest here and now: I love my grandmother and would never in a trillion, million, gazillion years do anything to purposefully hurt her. But anyone who knows me at all knows that. In fact, of all of the members of this family I'm the one who has the most patience with her and who expresses the least amount of animosity towards her.

Now that doesn't mean that I don't think she's rude, ill-mannered and self-centered because I do. And I do because, well, she is. Anyone who knows my grandmother well knows these things about her. I'm not saying anything that isn't true. And I'm certainly not saying anything that I wouldn't say or haven't already said to her.

Neither does it mean that I won't have certain expectations of her once we're living together, because I most certainly will. She will definintely, without a doubt, no ifs ands or buts be expected to be polite, considerate and pleasant towards all other members of the family. These are the same expectations I have of my children, my husband and, well, hell, anyone who wants to receive the same in return from me. Now if for some reason my grandmother chooses not to fulfill these expectations--and she certainly has a choice in the matter--then she won't be able to live with us. No big deal. If her house hasn't sold yet then she'll move back into it. If it has and Robin Wood still isn't available then we'll rent her an apartment. Or she can live in my house in Wendell.

I'm truly not sweating it. There isn't anything to sweat. Either this will work, or it won't work. Hopefully it will. But if it doesn't, at least I can say that I tried.