Life's MOMents

Wow, this week has been consumed by my mother and her accident. It's been a long rough ride for her -- and for my brother and me. Yesterday was easier for me in that I was able to feel comfortable about slipping away for breathers as needed, yet harder in those moments i was there to witness the depth of my mother's unhappiness.

I guess I have always been aware that my mom is not the happiest person on the planet. Others find her funny and witty. Many have been recipients of her giving nature when it came to baking or sewing. I think us kids have mostly seen her as unhappy.

The reality of the long road ahead of her has not fully sunk in but she is growing more aware of it as yesterday, in anticipation of the upcoming move to a convalescent home, she was being taught how to get out of bed and into a chair, using the walker and not resting any weight on her broken ankle. This is made harder by the fact that her left side, the side she needs to lean on now, is her weak side. She had a stroke a few years ago and it was her left side...  plus as a baby she had to have surgery on her neck, which resulted in nerve damage to her left arm. That hand has always been crippled.

So getting up and gripping the walker and leaning on her left side was-- is-- a large obstacle.  A lot of her success will depend on her attitude and right now, her attitude is far from good.

It's hard to watch. I know she is frustrated and in pain and even scared but I cringe when she yells at the nurses or displays defeat. We've got a long road ahead but so much of it will depend on her attitude and desire to win!

This is a life lesson for me. As the wise Kung-Fu man would say: Watch and learn grasshopper.

Yes. I am.

There are many actions I see displayed that I automatically will add to my list of "do not try this at home".  It's probably not fair but I can't help compare my mom to our friend who we visited with last Sunday. The one who has macular degeneration and still mows her lawn. Barb is a couple years older than my mom and she has taken a couple of bad falls in the last year. A broken collar bone and a fractured hip have not slowed her down much. Barb has a strong will to survive. She will live at home until she dies.

I want to be a strong person. I am a strong person. I am a survivor. I won't let life's curves take me down. I pray I can be strong for my mom as well. That my compassion and patience will not run dry as we navigate her healing process together.

Just as Mom will need to lean on her walker for support, I will be leaning on my Jesus.