Obsessions

It started like this.

Gwen: Mom, I need to call a plumber. Meg discovered that the off and on foul smell from the bedroom closet is a leak coming from the master bath.

Mom: I knew about that leak. I guess I should have mentioned it.

And grew and grew.

Gwen: [at 3:00 a.m. diaper change] Here's your bedpan, Ma.

Mom: Gwen, I've been thinking about that bathroom.

Gwen: Um, could we talk about this in the daytime?

Into this.

Mom: Did Dad ever tell you his thoughts about that toilet?

Gwen: No, I don't think we ever talked about the toilet.

Mom: Huh.

Gwen: Did Dad tell you what he thought about the toilet?

Mom: Yes, it took two flushes.

Gwen: Oh. That's because it's new. All the new toilets have low flow.

Mom: Well, maybe we should replace it. It leaks out around the bottom.

Gwen: The plumber lifted it up and put a new wax ring on, then he sealed all around it. I don't think we need a new toilet.

Mom: Did you have him check the lavatory spigot? Because it doesn't work right and it leaks under the cabinet.


Have I mentioned before that Mom gets stuck on things? She rolls something around and around in her mind until it is literally all she thinks about. Sometimes it is a spiritual concern, sometimes something physical. It can be from long ago or from the present. Often it is a person, relative or otherwise. And sometimes it is a project.

My philosophy is "If it ain't broke don't fix it." Usually Mom's philosophy is "If it's broke, just use it anyway. New things are expensive." (Witness the previous knowledge of nasty plumbing problems, but inactivity and even withholding of information.) But somehow we have moved from the shower repair (which will alleviate the leaky closet) to one new toilet, two new sink fixtures, and a new shower. I have held fast on refusing new floor tile and replacing the five year old toilet.

If you have been the object of one of Mom's obsessions before, you know how oddly relentless she is until she feels her work is done, often with less than pleasant results. You should all be happy to know her mind is currently occupied with the bathrooms and with me. You are safe for now.

You're welcome.