Long Story Short ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana I'm back! Yay! It felt like a looonnnnggg weekend, which it was of course. I had fun in Indiana, I haven't been since I was 18 so I got to see it through fresh eyes. Going back is always harder than I think it will be, mostly because the reality of how my mother grew up is so harsh. She and I have fun and laugh, but underlying the whole experience is the idea that this place could have, and almost did, ruin my mother. The weekend brought my mother and I closer. We haven't had a trip alone since I was in high school, and this one went really well. I didn't get irritated at all, the close quarters were no problem. And we kept in close contact with my dad the whole time. My cell phone allows for text and picture messaging, so we sent him frequent picture updates of what we were up to, and he would reply with details about his weekend. He knows how difficult South Bend is for my mother, and for us all, so he kept himself in the loop as much as possible. It was really nice, and my mom loved it. I left my parents' house yesterday feeling really good. My mother gave me huge hug goodbye and wouldn't let go. I let her squeeze. It was so good to have had our time together, creating inside jokes and laughing till we cried. She always feels left out when my dad and I are together so it was nice to reconnect in a mother-daughter way. And boy am I glad to be back! And the weather is Bee-yoo-tee-full!! Perfection. 11:07 a.m. - 2004-04-20 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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