This post has been sitting in my heart for months now. I thought it only fitting to get it out to the world in time for Mother’s Day.
You see, I have this incredible mom, and I think the world needs to know a little more about her. Outside of the typical mom caregiver roles–kissing boo boos, checking under the bed for monsters, holding us as we cried about this and that, making us warm meals every night…there have been defining moments in my life that I watched my mom evolve into this otherworldy, phenomenal caregiver.
-She was there every step of the way with my grandma (her mother in law) as she passed away.
-She took an extended “vacation” from teaching to fly to Arizona to drive her mom and dad back to Minnesota so my grandpa could have his aortic aneurysm repaired.
-She painfully watched her father in law undergo intense resuscitation after he was experiencing a major heart attack in cardiac ICU. She was with him as he passed away.
-She spent her 53rd birthday in the emergency room with her mom. She didn’t realize she’d also spend the next few weeks living at St. Mary’s as her mom slowly left this Earth. But she did it. And she did it with love and compassion the entire time.
And this past August, she received a life-altering phone call to meet her sister in the emergency room. She had been in a car vs semi accident and it was serious. Since then, she has done what she could to support my aunt, uncle and cousins as they navigate this new world they live in–being in the hospital day and many nights, attending care meetings, learning physical cares needed for returning home, bringing my aunt to and from doctor and physical therapy appointments as much as her schedule allows.
Bringing me Christmas dinner in the hospital while I was in labor with my son at 29 weeks, staying overnight on our uncomfortable couch MULTIPLE times over my many pregnancies as my husband worked overnights and we neared delivery day, coming to our house at the drop of a hat to help with whatever I needed in that moment. Staying for the weekend at her friend’s house as she underwent chemotherapy, volunteering to help adults learn English, volunteering as a tutor for kids in the community who need a little boost in reading and math, leading various events for her women’s ministry at her church, making delicious home-cooked meals daily for my dad, being with my sister in law overnight when her dad had unexpectedly and tragically passed away far too young, teaching for 37 years…
The list is seriously endless. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. My mom is not just MY caregiver, she is EVERYONE’S caregiver.
It’s hard to share my mom sometimes. (Just ask my dad, my brother or me) BUT, we wouldn’t want her to be any other way. She serves people with her whole heart, and she does it joyfully.
On this Mother’s Day, and always, I want to recognize the amazing mom I’ve been given and work to be a little more like her every day.
