gardengrl,

Has your mom been checked to see if she has any organic causes for drinking so much water? There are a few medical conditions that can cause this. There is a non-sugar diabetes that can cause the kidneys to expel water faster that normal resulting in excessive thirst, resulting in excessive urination and so on.. There are hormonal issues that can effect thirst and kidney function, not to mention behavior/anger issues. Outbursts are common with TBI.

Regarding selective memory, Memories can come and go. Many factors can mess up memory functions. They can be gone today and back tomorrow. As one memory path deteriorates, other memory paths to the same memory may become usable.

Regarding feeling guilty, if the two of you have been able to get past that episode, leave it in the past. That was then, this is now.

Think of it as a correction to the relationship. Now that it is over, hopefully you can relate at a new level. Often, we hide our true feeling to get along. Then something happens to reveal our true feelings, the relationship gets corrected, and we go on with an improved relationship.
Hope this week is better for the to of you.

Regarding donkeys. They are not stupid nor stubborn. They are very smart and will not let you push them to do something they think is unsafe. Their awareness of their surroundings makes them very stable and consistent animals. They are bred to horses because horses do not have these characteristics.

So, I think being like a donkey is a compliment.