It's Time For a Life Change

Wednesday January 29, 1992

We slept 10-1/2 hours. That should help our colds. We decide to go to the 1:30 movie Fried Green Tomatoes. Gary and Maria come at 7 p.m. We talk about the house the realtor will take them to see at 7:30. When they all return about 8:15 we sit down and the realtor runs some figures for Gary. The house is just out of his reach financially. We are all disappointed. The house is such a good buy and so perfect for them. I guess my talk with Gary on the phone last night did some good. I told him I thought it was time for a life change. I know he's comfortable where he is but it's time to buy a bigger house in a safer area and allow Maria to stay home and have his baby (after they're married). The schools here have no gangs. Maria's boys are 12 and 13 now. Well there will be another house another day. No hurry.

Maybe the reason Gary was dragging his feet was because Mom was pulling so hard! She could be domineering and opinionated, but she was also quite wise and level-headed. Apparently, her persuasive abilities are starting to turn Gary around. It sounds like she has his life all planned out. With Maria's boys early in their teenage years, it would be a good move for them to be in a nice safe neighborhood with no gangs.

Interesting that her last statement is "no hurry". I think she probably did feel an urgency. Her son would be 36 years old this year, never married, and no biological children. Mom was battling a life-threatening disease and didn't know how many years she would have left. I think she wanted to see her son "settled" before she passed away.