GETTING AHEAD

“I cannot get ahead, I just cannot get ahead,” She was sobbing and bashing the steering wheel of her car. “I am trying to do right but nothing is working,” She held the layoff letter in her hand and just bawled. “I cannot get ahead.”


From the car seat in the back came a little voice, “Don’t cry mommy, I’ll get you a new head.”
I received a tearful phone call with this tale today, from Jennifer and she was laughing despite her misfortune. For those of you who do not know her, this is a one of the stories about her from January of this year:

Yesterday was Zowie's birthday (for those of your that are not aware, she is my step daughter from my first marriage), so tonight Dad and I take her present over to her and let the circus begin. Note, the pit bulls are in cages, so we actually can get in the door- maybe my first clue that she has guests. We get inside and there is some woman on the couch, who we realize is one of the case workers for the Crack Babies (there is a long story, but they are her step father’s actual grand kids and she has taken over custody for now - they are 3 year old boy twins boys with a life time of trauma to deal with already) which makes us nervous instantly. I am sure we will be judged and no good can come from that. But then again, we are probably the most sane persons that are going to step into the house while she is there. (Freakishly hard to believe) Zowie is a little on edge, but it is her birthday and there is a gift. She opens her gift, which is a nice sweater and some Bath and Body, and I am really glad I had not bought her thongs or anything else really tacky. JoJo gets us some cake, which was nice. (Dad seems so completely cool with the whole lesbian thing, while I still have a complex that I am probably not being nice enough, and then over nice her so much I make my own self sick)
The boys are completely sugared up and Dad is grabbing them out of the air as they climb chairs and fling themselves into space. My Star Grandson is running through the house to see us, and he is a doll and he wants to come over this weekend which is more than okay with me! I miss kids at the house.. The case worker is trying to figure out how Jennifer has two step dads and one step mom and no biological parents and I am thinking about how awkward the whole thing is and how this morning I had to chase my trash cans down the street in -13 degree weather while wearing my high heels and dress clothes and my cars doors would not open because they were froze but my day was still calmer than this 1/2 hour with Jen and the crack babies. So the total frustration I had at work today, where I started to cry and had to make up some crap about having an allergy attack (like “maybe I grabbed a cat and rubbed it on my face“) just did not seem near as rough. And I realize how much I love this bunch of zanies and how I wish I would have told that poor confused case worker that she is not poor Jen who has crappy parents, she is lucky Jen because all of us that adore her, do not do so because we are her family and we have to, we love her because she is her, and we choose to love her. I love her, happy birthday, Jennifer!