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Quite a Day

Posted by eph21920 on May 30, 2024 in Family, Happiness, Home, Life, New

My mom got up several times last which unfortunately isn’t too unusual. Evidently she wore herself out as she didn’t get up then until after 10:30. I was pleasantly surprised that she was moving quite well. She walked with her walker the majority of the day, which doesn’t happen very often any more. In the early afternoon I heard the Thunderbirds, so my mom and I went out to the front porch. She easily made the step down. We were excited that we got to see one pass of the jets flying in formation directly over the house. A little later another new caregiver came over. My mom was very comfortable with her and showed her around the house. She got teary when she told her all about my dad. When they were chatting, the woman asked my mom how many children she had. My mom’s response was six. That took me by surprise as I have four living siblings. My mom did give birth to another baby who was premature and sadly died in just a few hours. I quietly told the caregiver that. She then told my mom that she had 4 children and had lost a baby. My mom said she had also. It was so unusual to hear my mom talk about that – especially to someone she just met. After a while my mom decided to play the piano. She did wonderfully and even got out one of her harder pieces. In the evening my son’s girlfriend came over and gave my mom a relaxing hand massage. She had recently taken a trip and showed us some pictures. My mom chatted with her and talked about some of the same places she had visited. She was calm yet energetic, engaging, and even funny all day long. It was very different, and I enjoyed it all.

I Found God today in my mom’s really good day.

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Stroller Meeting

Posted by eph21920 on May 29, 2024 in Baby, Children, Connected, Life, Relationship

I was blessed to be able to take a walk in the park today. As a bonus, I happened to be there just at the time that the Thunderbirds were flying overhead in formation practicing for tomorrow’s Air Force Academy graduation. The sight and sounds of the jets are always thrilling to me. When I had made the big loop around the park and was heading back to the car, another scene caught my attention. There was a group of about 8 strollers and adults all together in the grass. I noticed more and more strollers heading to and joining the group. When I arrived at my car, there were 3 more ladies getting their children situated in their strollers. I asked one of them about the big meeting. She said it was a mom’s group that had started. I thought about how wonderful that must be for these mothers. It can feel isolating at times being home taking care of children. What a great way to meet new people. For whatever reason, it really warmed my heart to think of the potential friendships that may emerge from this group.

I Found God today in a stroller meeting.

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Lending an Ear

Posted by eph21920 on May 28, 2024 in Connected, Life, Stranger, Struggles

I felt relieved to get through my stack of paperwork today. It was helpful to have one of our trustworthy caregivers here to help watch over my mom. To finish up, I needed to go to the bank. The teller was super nice and saw I was the POA on my mom’s account. She asked how long I had been caring for my mom. When I answered almost 10 years, she was shocked – and so was I. She told me she recently became the POA for her mother. Then she shared her story with me. This happens quite a bit. People caring for their parents in any capacity feel comfortable talking about their situations and difficulties. There is a sense of camaraderie. It is interesting that while the details are different, everyone has similar struggles. I am happy to lend a listening ear and hope to provide some encouragement.

I Found God today listening to a stranger’s story.

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Memorial Day at the Cemetery

Posted by eph21920 on May 27, 2024 in Connected, Death, Family, Sacrifice, Stranger

This morning I reminded my mom that is was Memorial Day. I asked if there was anything special we should do. She said no. At this point, my mom doesn’t really remember that my dad has passed away, which is both difficult and a blessing. We had a caregiver over this afternoon, so my sister and I took the opportunity to go to the national cemetery where my dad is buried. We were welcomed by large flags lining the entrance road. Volunteers from our Hospice organization had placed flags on all 4000 graves and the whole place looked very reverent as well as patriotic. There were many people there, but we managed to find a parking space close enough to my dad’s grave. We were lucky that a very nice woman gave us a flower vase that she had just emptied as there were no more in the container. When we arrived at the site, we placed our red, white, and blue flowers next to the flag. Once we settled, I looked around at all the other people. A group not too far from us was praying the rosary. A woman was collecting empty flower containers and stopped to chat when she came by. We shared stories, condolences, and a hug. Another woman with 2 young men came by and were placing pennies on the headstones. I asked about what they were doing. She explained the significance of the action. A penny left on a headstone can let the family of a deceased soldier know that someone has stopped by to pay their respects.
A nickel can signify that the visitor served with the deceased at boot camp. A dime can mean that the visitor served with the deceased in some capacity. A quarter can indicate that the visitor was with the soldier when they were killed. The woman said that they had been doing this since the cemetery opened 4 years ago. She also said that the monies will be collected and go to the cemetery funds. A little later, 2 women were looking for a certain gravesite. They had the information, but didn’t know how to use it. My sister pointed out the numbers on the backs of the headstones, which helped them to find their loved one. When we were ready to leave, my sister and I prayed for my dad, all who were buried there, all military who have died and their families. It was a somber, moving experience. I felt connected to every person there.

I Found God today remembering my dad and connecting with others who were also grieving.

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Going Out to Make Disciples

Posted by eph21920 on May 26, 2024 in Bible, Grateful, Prayer, Priest, Service

I made it to church this morning after missing 2 weeks. When I walked in, I saw a friend who is a deacon, so we chatted a bit. As we did, a sweet little old man was talking to the priest and told him today was his 100th birthday. There was another deacon there who was just ordained yesterday. He announced that he would be serving in campus ministry at a college in the city. Ironically, a friend of mine will be the chaplain there. The new deacon was accompanied by 2 priests. One was a family friend from Alaska and one was a cousin who was ministering in a church in Russia. We prayed for them all during this Mass. The Gospel for today was the “Great Commission”, when Jesus told his followers to go out and make disciples of all nations. I thought each of these individuals was a beautiful example of doing just that. And I felt very blessed to be at Mass today.

I Found God today in the blessing of attending  Mass.

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Checking the Garden

Posted by eph21920 on May 25, 2024 in Creation, Family, Grateful, Happiness

My mom was moving pretty well this morning, so I thought it was a good opportunity to try to get her outside. My brother helped to get her and the wheelchair down the 3 steps into the garage. She did pretty good. From there, we took a slow, meandering tour of the garden with all the new plants and flower pots. The irises were just starting to bloom so that was an added bonus. Our neighbor also beautified their area so we enjoyed that as well. It felt like our own personal botanical gardens. We sat out in the sunshine for a long time until we headed back in. I was grateful that it was much easier for my mom to walk up the 3 stairs than it was to go down. It was a blessing to get her out for this little excursion.

I Found God today getting my mom outside.

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Across Countries

Posted by eph21920 on May 24, 2024 in Family, Joy, Relationship, Travel

This morning bright and early I saw a video from my grandson. He is in Monaco for the Grand Prix. The video showed the cars whizzing by as they practiced on the course. My grandson had a good vantage point at the cafe where he was hanging out. We started texting and he shared photos of the beautifully presented food he was enjoying and some of the sites. I was thrilled to hear from him and to share his excitement. I still think it’s amazing that we can communicate in real time from different countries. I am mostly grateful for our relationship.

I Found God today grateful for a wonderful relationship with my grandson.

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Reminded of God’s Love

Posted by eph21920 on May 23, 2024 in Answer, Faith, Friends, Grateful, Struggles

I met with my Stephen Minister this evening. She listens to whatever I have to say, is non-judgmental, and helps me to see things from a different perspective. What I appreciate the most is the ability to talk about faith. Whether I feel like I’m in a good place, frustrated, hopeful, peaceful, anxious, or even angry with God, she is supportive and makes it all into a prayer. She reminds me of God’s love and promises. I feel very blessed to have this special woman in my life.

I Found God today in my Stephen Minister.

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Patiently Occupied

Posted by eph21920 on May 21, 2024 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Patience, Relationship, Struggles

Last night I took my turn to “sleep” in mom’s room with her. She has been having bathroom problems which makes it even more challenging. I won’t get into details, but in the middle of the night I stripped her bed, washed her bedding, and gave her a shower. At the beginning of all the commotion, my brother who was sleeping in the bedroom directly underneath came up to see if he could help. I thanked him but everything was such a mess and I didn’t think it necessary for him to get his hands dirty – literally. So, there wasn’t a lot of sleep last night. Today we were all tired, but my mom still required the constant looking after. My brother kept things cleaned up, made dinner, and even watered the new baby plants. That took so much stress off of me that I was able to patiently keep my mom occupied. I was so grateful for my brother’s presence and help today.

I Found God today in my helpful brother.

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Heartfelt Hug

Posted by eph21920 on May 20, 2024 in Answer, Family, Grateful, Healing, Love, Struggles

This afternoon one of our wonderful caregivers was here. She was sitting with my mom at the table doing a puzzle. Typically my mom seems to take a nosedive in the afternoon. Perhaps “sundowning”. She gets more agitated and emotional for no apparent reason. As they were working on the puzzle and chatting, my mom sad that she was sad. The cargiver asked her why. She didn’t really know. So the young lady asked if she needed a hug. My mom said maybe she did. So the caregiver said she would give her a warm, heartfelt hug. And she did. My mom said she felt better after that. It was so sweet and warmed my heart.

I Found God today in a heartfelt hug by a loving young woman.

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