Parents and such...

My parents were here for a few days. This visit was actually very pleasant. Dad is well...Dad. He's always been terrific. My mother is challenging. I can't recall the last time she wasn't "sick". The martyrdom is unequaled. All in all though, it was a good visit. If you steer the conversation away from any opportunity for her to start spouting about other races, politics, and Texas, there's actually a good chance you'll have a decent conversation.
Don't get me wrong, there's nothing bad about having an opinion. I got my confidence and stubbornness from the woman. As she has gotten older, her filter has faded away. You know the one - the filter that sometimes stops you from blurting out the first thing that pops into your head, appropriate or not, insulting or not, racist or not.
She's the only one I've got or will ever have and I do love my mother. It's taken me four decades to be able to say that.