Mama

Wednesday, April 13, 2016

I want to preserve her in amber, wrap her in cotton muslin and moth balls, swaddle her, vital, strong and kicking in the present.  I want her around forever but I know one day...

I received a call on Monday that my mom wasn't well.  You have to know my mom, at almost 79 years old, for her to admit to anyone that she's not feeling well, it's serious.  At some point during the day she got worse and took a fall.  By Tuesday morning there wasn't much change and so I called my husband to come home and take me to the airport.  Not living in the same state s.....  My family wanted to know how I would make a trip across multiple states (part flight/part driving) with a broken foot... Me: "How could I not?"  I arrived late last night, by then she had been admitted to the hospital.  I drove straight there and hobbled my way to room 227.  Her smile lit up the room, seeing me walking in on crutches and a bootcast, for her that was the best medicine of all!  #noregrets

At almost 52, I am at the confronting age where the realizaton that my parents are no longer invincible starts to hit.  Although my mom is quite capable and in realtively good health, some tasks are becoming a bit more than she can easily handle.  Grasping the concept of mortality is undoubtedly a challenging one when it applies to the people you love most in the world.  But if you are fortunate enough to have enough time to tackle the issue it can be an opportunity to make the moments count.  I'm talking about being present in your relationship, making the effort to increase your presence in their lives - call more often, visit as much as you can, appreciate and understand everything about them.

The best gift we can give them at this point in their lives is to make visits and calls more memorable and enjoyable.  Every day is precious and is an opportunity to enjoy them, to learn from them and to see the world through their eyes.  Spend time talking, getting to know them on a deeper level, these hours are irreplaceable and brings a little happiness to them.

Still to this day my parents are the people who always remind me that I am loved, special to someone and have someone to go to, no matter what.  It's impossible to imagine a world where they aren't there...


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