It’s been a crazy month! I think I’ll be happy to be done
with February. It started off with my sister going away on vacation. She and I
share the responsibility of caring for our mother. Before she left, she made
lots of lists. There was a lot to be done, but truthfully, I wasn’t too
worried. I thought I had everything under control.
During the twelve days she was on a cruise (thankfully, not
THAT one) we had one blizzard, three lesser snowstorms, one doctor’s visit,
three medications that resulted in multiple complications, two falls (luckily,
no broken bones), three early morning visits from the paramedics, and 12 hours
in the ER.
I am exhausted.
And SO glad that my sister is back home and
Mom is finally on the mend.
While we were in the thick of it, I was pretty
overwhelmed. One of the things that got me through were the little snatches of time
each morning reading from Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, which offered words of
strength and encouragement.
The other thing that got me through was the people.
- My daughter, who stayed with my mom to keep a fire going when she lost power during the blizzard.
- The paramedics, who can make a person smile even when they’re scraping them off the floor – literally.
- The policeman who was sympathetic to my situation after he pulled me over for speeding at 2 A.M. as I rushed to let the paramedics in.
- The nurse in the ER who worked with my mom years ago, and the familiar face who greeted her upstairs when she was later admitted.
- My other sister, who read and responded with patience and understanding to every Facebook message rant I sent her.
These people were single strands that together formed a
strong network which provided strength to both my mother and I through the
ordeal.
“We cannot live only for ourselves. A thousand fibers connect us with our fellow men.”
- Herman Melville
Mom is finally on the mend. Now I just have to get through
the housewarming party we’re throwing for my daughter tomorrow. Oh, and did I
mention there’s another storm on the way?
