Trying to hold it together

So yesterday hub's mom (mother-in-law, MIL) came by early and we took off for Bryan. We got there and Mom had several boxes in various states of assembly and fullness all over the house. We rearranged some to clear a path after having some pleasant conversation and loaded up some furniture that she wanted to get rid of; a large bookshelf (for me), a full sized bed and the frame and a coffee table (for Brö) and some other small things. We disassembled what we could and got it on MIL's friend's truck and tied it all down as best we could. We were pretty pooped because it was in the 90's and very humid (Bryan's a bit closer to the coast so it's always humid there). I straightened up some things and did a little work on her computer (I don't know how she manages to get so many viruses and spyware on there when she hardly does anything on it). By this time it was getting on into the afternoon so we decided to go ahead and take off. We had to stop once to rearrange everything and re-tie it, but we got to Brö's without incident, unloaded his stuff, and got the bookcase home safe.

I asked Mom a couple of times if she needed anything packed while we were there but she said 'no, I can handle it'. I said 'you do realize that the movers are coming a week from today, and that every last thing has to be packed up before they get here, right?' She seemed surprised by this, but once again said 'I'll get it done.' I called this morning to let her know I was home okay, and she said 'they're coming in a week, huh? I'm so tired...' This made me crazy. She's been talking about all her great friends who have been doing her the favor of taking her stuff and giving her a party, and I said 'have you thought about asking all these wonderful friends if any of them would be willing to help you pack?' She said 'oh, no, I don't want to, they're all busy.' She said her best friend was 'still in denial' about her moving, and didn't want to think about it.

I laid it down- I am not going to be able to come up between now and Wednesday. *ALL* the packing needs to be done before then. She's been refusing help from me and failing to ask it from others, so I asked her point blank: 'Can you have it all done by then?' She gave another vague 'I guess I'll have to...' and I restated 'Are you going to be able to have it all packed by Wednesday?'

( big pissy ugly 'why-me' rant )

I recommended that she recruit some of those great friends of hers that she says she'll miss so much but who are too busy with their lives to help out and try to get them to help her pack and she agreed that this would be a good idea and she'd mention it at the going-away party they're giving her. I really suspect that a lot of them would be more than happy to help if she would just mention that she needs it. Brö is also going up Saturday so hopefully he can assess things then.

I have other friends and people in my life whose lives are going through a lot of upheaval and awful change, and I am trying not to berate myself because I can't be there for them (as much as I want to). The shit just seems to be hitting the fan everywhere. I think when this is all over I'm going to cry for 3 days straight.

(no subject)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Your fresh dilemma is actually a twisted old
predicament in disguise. It's a bit prettier than it was the last time you
saw it, but just as knotty. Please don't underestimate it. If you imagine
you can force it to disappear overnight, you'll make bumbling decisions
and awkward moves. If, on the other hand, you assume you'll need steady,
prolonged effort, you will attract excellent luck and unexpected help. Be a
humble warrior motivated not by hatred for the problem but by love for
yourself.