Month: December 2018

as 2018 ends

it’s been an interesting year — small changes add up to significant “losses” over the course of the year
Mobility and speech are the biggest ones..

Mom, we’re grateful to be your caregivers. Thank you for being a part of our family.  We anticipate more changes in 2019 – and look forward with joy to every moment we have with you.

You have always been an example of love, generosity and kindness.  Your sweet demeanor is a reminder of how incredibly blessed we are every day.  Smiles and genuine thank you’s from the moment you get up until you go to bed.

Delight in the sunshine on a snowy day, joy in seeing a photo from long ago or visiting with a family member whose name escapes you…

Attending a family gathering and sharing loudly, “I know him, that’s my son!”  Bringing the room to tears as they feel that to their very core and maybe even a bit of envy that it wasn’t a statement directed to them… but joy nonetheless to know she still knows him.

Big feelings are now a common thing for you, Mom.  You’re not exactly sure why at times, but they are big.  I’m grateful you don’t feel the need to hide them — or hide behind them.  Tears are welcome… I just wish you could recall the reason for them.  I can guess who you are missing or that the occasion brings fleeting glimpses of memories of times past.  Maybe it’s even a little bit of letting go of the fear of what’s to come.  We’ve had the “talk” a couple of times when you’ve brought the conversation to that point.  Grateful for being able to share that conversation with you and hope that your fears are lessened a bit.

Conversations at night with others we cannot see on the monitor.  The lady who sits in the chair watching over you.  The doorbells announcing guests and you rise from bed hoping to greet them with your lovely smile.  The relief you feel when you find you don’t have to get up “just yet” and can rest a little longer before you have to begin your day.

Oh Mom, we’ll treasure these moments forever.  Thank you for sharing the past 3 years of this journey with us.  We are truly blessed and honored to be on this pathway with you.

 

 

 

blessed for sure

Thanksgiving has come and gone… and we had a very quiet one.  Grateful for each and every moment we get to spend with Mom.  It could have been so much different if the stroke had been any worse.

November 17th just as we were prepping to get Mom ready for bed, she collapsed.  We are very fortunate that EMS arrived within 5 minutes of our 911 call.  Mom was on her way to the hospital within 10 minutes -and by the time we arrived, she was having a CT done and her room was ready in the ER.  Mom was responsive and alert when we saw her about 20 minutes later.  She recognized my brother and said, “That’s my son, Pete.”  Such joy for my brother!  And I was just thrilled that she’d gotten a full sentence out and her words were clear as a bell.

We spent the next couple of hours at the hospital.  Mom was doing well enough to come home.  We all got to catch up on a bit of sleep and decompress a bit.

She’s doing remarkably well since that episode.  We’ve completed the follow-ups with her primary and her neuro. Neither see any residual effects and were even surprised that she answered some questions for them that she hadn’t been able to do in previous visits!

Fast forward to yesterday.  We had our traditional family gathering with the family.  Most everyone was able to be there.  We’re all grateful for the privilege we have of spending one more Season of Giving and Loving with Mom.  Lots of precious memories were shared and I’m pretty sure that most everyone spent more time doing the same on their trips home.  More time was spent sharing stories than taking pictures.  We’ll take those pictures with Mom today and add them to the growing “library” of memories in our family’s dropbox folder.

Wishing you all joy-filled moments and memories to treasure today and throughout the days to come.  Happy Holidays!

     Our thoughts shape who we are.