My mother lives in Pennsylvania with my sister, Jennifer, and her family--husband (an aspiring politician), 2 boys (one in the military), and a daughter (a college student). It is not a happy arrangement, but a convenient one. Mom can be difficult to be around at times; demanding, snappy, easily offended, stubborn--in other words, human, but less inhibited than most. Her driving frightens everyone. She's 80 years old and has been like this for at least 40 years.

Jennifer is kind, loving, and patient, but she does have her limits, as well as a stressful, full-time job and busy family (did I mention her husband is a politician?). Mom is in the hospital, recovering from a bleeding ulcer that nearly killed her.

Please pray for physical and spiritual healing for my Mom, emotional strength for Jennifer and her family, and grace for all. Mom says she wants to drive to Atlanta in August, even though I have offered to buy her a round-trip ticket (I think Jennifer wouldn't mind if ti were a one-way ticket), and the rest of the family is concerned about all the other people on the road, as well as Mom (did I metnion her driving is terrifying?).