Why Do They Call It Vacation?

Got a call from Mrs. BiW this morning. Apparently, her mother has ratcheted her hen pecking up about five notches, and Mrs. BiW is squarely in her sights. Add this to a less than pleasant visit to her grandmother, who isn't doing well, and fatigue, well...she was pretty upset. The upside is that her sister is doing well and the boys are having fun playing with their cousins. In retrospect, I should have done all that I could to fly back with her and the boys, if only to be a shield for some of the inevitable unpleasantness. I know that her Mom is stressed, spending the week caring for a sister who is dying from the same awful disease that took her father, and her mother, who is fighting a losing battle with cancer, and had a penchant for being unpleasant on her good days. (But seriously, Mrs. BiW lived with her for years, I came to love the mean old lady too. I know how much it upsets her to see her like this.) Her Dad is upset because her Mom is upset, and therefore, the criticism, and the sensitivity to it both go up tremendously. She texted me later to say she was better, but I think this is going to be a very rough trip for her. I'll be busy when they fly back on Sunday trying to get her relaxed before the big meeting on Monday.