The voice of parents is the voice of gods, for to their children they are heaven's lieutenants.

Okay, so Mom and I have been roomies for about 13 months now…..


And things have been very smooth for the most part, I have to say. We both respect each other and try to give each other space—which is no mean feat in a 2 bedroom apartment. [But those 2 bathrooms are a godsend let me tell you.]

I think it helps that our schedules are very different. Because I have to be at my desk, ready to go by 8am (a real challenge for someone with sleep issues), I try to be in bed between 10:30 and 11. Of course, I may not fall asleep until 1 or later…. Mom, on the other hand is a night owl. She sits up and reads, or writes until 2 or 3 in the morning. Quiet activities that don’t keep me awake—my brain and my aches and pains do that job quite well all by themselves.

We have developed a division of labor for now that’s fair. After all those years of being an independent working gal, Mom is kind of back to “50s Housewife” mode. She does the cooking, shopping and meal planning—which is why I am able to stick to a diabetic diet and have lost about 30 pounds. I do the dishes, help with the laundry and run the vacuum. I also do what heavy lifting I can—we borrow boys for what I can’t do.

Even after all this time, I am still adjusting to having to clue someone else in on my schedule/whereabouts. Ten years by myself, I got used to just coming and going as I pleased. Especially when I’m involved with a show. It is not uncommon for me to go directly from work to the theatre—I do this quite frequently when I am the director. I like the quiet of the empty theatre to collect my thoughts on where I want to take a scene. But now that Mom is planning such lovely dinners, I hate to disappoint her. As opening for OUR TOWN approached though, I will have to skip the luxury of a meal prepared for me. I hope she understands.

The best part of having a roomie though is the fact that my mother cracks me up—she is one funny lady. You never know what’s going to come out of her mouth.