The Best Intentions: The Best Made Plans

"I am shocked with my family," said Marietta, a gracious, seventy-five year old woman recovering from a fractured hip. "Thank you for coming. I don't have anyone to take care of me."

"You are welcome," replied her nurse. "Don't fret about your family. Just rest, dear."  

"I had the best intentions. My plan was to spend some time visiting my family. There are so many family members I have never met before and they they kept inviting me to visit them. I decided to do just that at Christmas time. It seems that some of them totally misunderstood my intentions."

Marietta was financially well off and had the means to travel anywhere she wished. She was determined to remain independent, but she needed help. 

"If you want, you can tell me what happened, dear," said her nurse. "It can't have been a completely bad experience for you."

"No, in fact, it was a wonderful experience. It taught me a lot. One of my family members told me that I was beautiful and that he wanted to grow old graciously, just like me."     

"That is wonderful!"

"A niece-to-be suggested that I could be her mother-in-law, as she had just become engaged to one of my nephews. I had to tell her that I could only be her aunt-in-law. I was so happy for them and thrilled to be part of their engagement party."

"That was good."

"Not all my experiences were that great. One family had a flood in their basement, and another had a basement full of treasures with no room for me."

"Oh, no!"

"Yet another told me that if I didn't like sleeping on an air mattress, there was the road, as beggars can't be choosers. I was stunned."

"That was really mean, wasn't it?"

"Another told me I was trying to be their mom, but I had no intention of being anyone's mother. I just got to do all the housecleaning and washing."

"That's not fair, either."

"Now I know who will be included in my will," said Marietta, with a grin. "The best made plans of mice and men..."

"And the best intentions."