Contribution by Stevie Kirby

My mom is so stubborn. It was all we could do to get her into a nursing home but when it came to selling the house she just wasn’t having it. It made the most sense to try and sell her house because that way we’d have some extra funds to pay for her care but ever since dad died she’s just been irrationally holding onto the place because it’s got so much sentimental value and she just can’t stand to get rid of it. Anyway, my brother decided to move into it since he didn’t have anywhere else to go when he came back home to help with mom. He’s actually done a lot to improve the value of the house – he had the outside painted and he totally redid the kitchen and he’s even been making it more “green” (he’s really into that kind of stuff) by going to www.electriccompaniesindallas.com to get the electricity rates down and having windows put in all over that seal in the heat more. I’m really happy how we’ve come together as a family when mom needed us the most but it’s been a really tough year, to say the least. It’s incredible how expensive it is to put a family member in a care facility and I think the government needs to do something to make it easier, but don’t get me started on that! Mom’s really deserving of all the attention she’s been getting and I know it makes her happy that her kids are hanging out more for the first time in years. I really thought about it hard and decided it was best to keep her here in town and make sure she was under our watchful eye. It’s been really nice to spend more time with my brother, too, since he’s lived out in California for years – this tough time is really bringing the family together when I stop and think about it.