Time with Sis

[mrdreamjeans]

I've been in Pflugerville (Austin area) since Saturday visiting my sister. I didn't see Colleen at Christmas because her in-laws took their entire brood on a cruise to Mexico. We're really close and I miss her, so I took a few days of this break from touring to have some one-on-one time with her.

I'm doing things like helping her with the horses, redecorating her living room and bedroom, assisting in organizing her handicapped son's records, getting their vehicles serviced... but mostly I'm here just to be company. As adults, it is a rare opportunity to share uninterrupted time together. It's wonderful just to be silly and laugh a lot...something that Colleen rarely gets to do because she has so much responsibility.

It's funny. We can fight like cats and dogs over mundane, sometimes political and religious things, but it's usually because we are so much alike in wanting to be knowledgeable and right:) Colleen's had a tough few years...on disability (with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia) from her beloved teaching; she's preparing for an imminent fight with the State of Texas over the care of her profoundly autistic and mentally-handicapped son (funding got all caught up in politics); my brother-in-law works on contract in Boston right now and my niece is at school, so there is no one locally to help her take care of the house, their 10 acres, the three old horses (which I wrote about this summer) and to do battle. (Though even with her husband here, there's no emotional support for any of this, but that's another story.)

Yet, Colleen manages to be actively involved in my parents' lives, especially their health care needs, spends an inordinate amount of time driving back and forth between Austin and College Station in support of her daughter... to watch Cait's water polo tournaments and beauty pageants and to participate in Aggie Mom events. She has about 30 former students, members of her title-winning Science Olympiad teams, that stay in constant contact and call her Mama Moore. Somehow, Colleen finds time to be present and loving in all of their lives and that of her "Big Bubba". I respect and love her so much.

There are five people that I can call when I just want to hear a friendly voice, someone who I know will take the time to listen. Colleen, despite her challenges and schedule, is one of them. (The other four are my mother, Tim (gotmoof) and my Houston friends Ann and Casey. (Hmmm... interesting... I just noticed that four of the five are women. I have other close friends I can call such as David, Stan, Steve, Bill, Linda and Marybelle who are supportive... but there's a slight hesitancy on my part to call... a feeling I might be intruding on their day, though that feeling is mostly in my head.) With Colleen, I know she wants me to pick up the phone. Believe me - I am also that shoulder to lean on... that friendly ear for her too.

This afternoon we're going to go review documentation on her son in preparation to go to war with the state agency that funds the group home where Ross lives. Arbitrarily and without meeting Ross, a psychologist changed his designation from a Level 9 (24-hour one on one care) to a Level 6. Ross has been a Level 9 since the age of 10!

It turns out that members of the state legislature were looking at redistricting instead of deadlines last year and gave away, because of inattention, $250 million earmarked for the poor and handicapped in Texas. Instead of trying to recover the funding, the governor ordered cuts in the agency. Instead of cutting administrative costs and putting a freeze on hiring, the decision was made to eliminate the class Ross falls into... to save money on the backs of the 32 people like Ross in the state. Essentially, the modus operandi is to re-certify the most severely needy children and young adults, cut their care dollars and then go back to the public, putting a face of fiscal responsibility on their mistakes.

Well, it isn't going to happen without a fight! Colleen is a fierce and knowledgeable parent advocate. She didn't put her son away and then disappear from his life. She's active on a daily basis and despite what it is doing to her own health, she's not giving up on Ross having the highest quality of life he can have. Colleen has never been litigious, but that may change. She's never been one to contact the media, but that may change and through my efforts there's a consumer advocate or two that just might shine a light on the dark side, the ineptitude of Texas government. Colleen's not giving up and neither am I...after all, I'm just here to spend some time with Sis:)

Comments

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Hehehe! I'll tell her you said that when she returns from her doctor's appointment:)