Resentment

My mother is turning into that old woman. You know the one - everything is about her, her current health troubles, her struggles in dealing with her aging body. Is someone in the family having trouble sleeping? Well, that's NOTHING. She hasn't slept well in MONTHS. Did someone in the family make a joke about wanting to be housebound with their spouse? Well, they should just be GRATEFUL they're not REALLY housebound (which is strange because while she is having some trouble with her daily activities, she is not, in fact, "housebound"). Did my latest weight-lifting session leave me stiff and sore? Well, you should just be GRATEFUL your body WORKS.

The thing that's so supremely irritating about this turn of events is that she herself has never been grateful for her healthy body or her independence. She's the type of person who complains constantly, who will LOOK for things to complain about if things are actually going well. She appears to revel in her misery, wearing her martyrdom like the proverbial Crown of Thorns.

I do not resent providing whatever help my Mother needs. But I resent her becoming THAT old woman, the one who's supremely self-centered and can't seem to accept her infirmary with some grace.