On Our Own: A Woman's Dilemma

I sent this letter to a former neighbor in California whose husband recently passed. She felt overwhelmed having to do everything herself, unlike some of us whose husband's were always gone…hers was always home. He had his chores and she had hers.
   When we moved to our new home in Montana, I sent her this letter shortly after we arrived.

   "Yes, Laurie, I do think of you. You probably 

think because I moved, my mind went too. 

I was lying awake worrying about the water pump

 not working the other night when Kim was away on

 a business trip.

A friend came over to help with the problem.

 My mistake was taking Kim's advise
 …while he was overseas…to call Richard.

 I should have just called the professionals

even if it would cost more in the long run. 

I heard Richard say to Kim over the phone,

 "I agree with Nancy completely. 

Problems around the house don't happen just when

 you leave, it's because you are "never" home."

 Richard was of little comfort since he is 70 plus years old

 and it takes him hours to analyze a problem

before he gets around to fixing it. 

So there I was lying awake worrying all night…

with no water running in the house…thinking of you.

I would think of the women in our neighborhood

 who had their husbands home all the time, but then I also 

thought of the freedom I had when Kim

 was gone because he would not be around to nag me. 

I rather enjoyed saying to him over the phone,

 "You're not here to fix the problem, so I am doing it my way."

Yes, even a newly built home has it's problem.

 I can't believe 2 tiny wires pressed between

 a screw and bolt controls the well water pump

 for the entire house. 

It only took Richard 4 hours

 to figure it out when it could have taken 30 minutes

 if he had listened to me from the beginning when I told him

 where I thought the problem started. He spent over 

2 hours taking the water filter apart.  Another hour analyzing

 the residue in the filter.

I said, "Richard, I know I am suppose to take

 the bad with the good, but your spending 3 hours working

 on the water filter, is NOT helping, when it's the well pump." 

Laurie, when you are up late at night or can't sleep

…remember that I am too. It's when our part of the world is  

sleeping and we can't call anyone to come

 fix our daily problems. So we worry, until daylight

 when we can call someone.