Tonight's picture was taken in April of 2005. Mattie was three years old! I am so glad I snapped this photo, because it captures all the amazing set ups in our living room. Mattie loved to design all sorts of configurations with his train tracks and then of course run trains and cars along the lines! Of course no photo would be complete without his famous sippy cup of milk!
Quote of the day: Some days you will feel like the ocean. Some days you will feel like you are drowning in it. ~ Lora Mathis
I was making headway with my dad's pressure sores. But given his extensive incontinence, even with silicone foam wound dressings covering his sores, one sore opened back up today. I feel like I am on a constant treadmill, with things never stabilizing. In fact, it was a day in which I was constantly on the telephone.... dealing with mortgage questions, medical bills, insurance companies, and let's add the IRS.
My parents received a check in the mail from the IRS. This is not something we were expecting. So naturally I was suspect. Their accountant can't explain it and naturally my head jumped to..... it has to be a fraudulent check. Any case, there is a website to validate IRS checks to make sure they actually come from the US treasury. So the check is legitimate, but then I had to call the IRS because my concern is if we cash it, what are the consequences on this year's taxes.
Have you ever tried calling the IRS? If you haven't, GOOD FOR YOU! If you are like me and need to talk to a live person, my heart goes out to you! This is an agency that is very good at tracking what payers owe them, and holding them accountable, but good luck if you need answers and help from them. It is truly amazing, the amount of money taxpayers dole out each year, and one would hope with all this money, that the system would want to help the taxpayer!
I spent over an hour using three phones, trying to get through to the IRS. It is an absolutely infuriating system, in which you are talking to an automated service that either hangs up on you or directs you to their website..... as if that is going to help, instead the website provides NO SPECIFIC support. General information, sure, but NOTHING that will help guide you through your own problem and issue!
I then found an IRS help center near my home. The information on-line says to call the help center number to request an appointment. That's even funnier than calling the main IRS phone number. What happened when I did this.... I got a recording that said: "Your call can't be completed at this time. Call again later." I did this repeatedly!
So I can't get through the main line, I can't get through to the help center, the portal is no help, so tomorrow I am showing up at the physical help center to see if I can make an appointment. I waste more time on trying to solve problems during the day and the pressure is just overwhelming.
Meanwhile, each day, I field mortgage questions. Recap, I have to legally assume my mortgage and remove my other half from the mortgage. Today's question was hysterical. The lender wants to know how I am actually managing and living without money coming into me directly through work, government support or alimony. An excellent question! Any case, I am so sick of being judged for not having an income that I snapped today. I literally said to him.... "I am sure you think I sit on the couch and eat bon bons all day. But I assure you, I am working around the clock caring for my parents and helping children with cancer. In fact, I have been helping children with cancer for 17 years now, and haven't asked for a $1 for my work." If you read last night's blog, then you know my mortgage fellow's name is Jesus. He is lovely and he listened to me today and is truly trying to help me with this daunting process. I have worked for the Foundation for free all these years, because I was married, and it gave me the opportunity to devote my time and attention to building something that honors Mattie's memory and helps other children in the process. If I knew I was going to get divorced 17 years ago, would I have made other decisions so that I had financial stability? Probably! But despite the fact that in society's eyes I am deemed not successful, success to me is measured not by the dollars earned but by the impact you make on others' lives.
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