A few months ago, I related a story about a lady that I met when I was in Missouri. She is a columnist and in my estimation is an excellent writer and story teller. I had related that she lost her husband, and at that time I was comparing that to the loss of my wife and what we go through’
I just got another email from her with a recent column. It was so close to home for me and so much the way she opens herself when she writes, I wanted to pass it on.
Quote..
I am close to each one of my children even though they live in other states. I have been bossing these three around all the days of their lives. I have held them, rocked them and comforted them,. and lately I have been doing a lot more of that. My children thankfully have a very tight bond with each other and that has only gotten stronger in their adult years. But now, since my husbands passing, these collaborating, conspiring, conference calling children are all in my business.
Suddenly they are the boss of me. …. “Mom” my oldest daughter Hilary said “your hair is all bunched up in the back” “oh” I replied, my shoulder popping as I reach to smooth it down. ” I can’t see it anyway” “You know, even though you can’t see it everyone else can, please tell me it doesn’t look like that every day? Don’t you ever look at the back of your hair?” Hilary with a gasp a stricken look on her face , “What I can’t see, can’t bother me” I said, looking like I was teasing but meaning every word I said. “Mom, how hard is it to look at the back of your head and fix your hair?”
I didn’t tell her but someone used to do that for me.
My youngest daughter, Mariah, reminded me that I need to check the labels on food in my kitchen. “your eggs are three days past the expiration date, and I am afraid to open the milk carton. Mom, you need to pay attention! You have spices that need to be tossed and biscuits that are about to explode. ! There is a bag of cheese you don’t want to see and a jar of salsa that I wish I hadn’t! Mom, you have to eat this stuff before it goes bad” Mariah declared , throwing her hands in the air.
I didn’t tell her, but someone used to help me with that.
My eldest child Taylor, came for a visit and took a tour of the place. The grass is neatly mowed, but there are weeds where there never used to be. I have bare spots where the rain has washed the mulch away, and a colony of spiders living in my mailbox. I forgot to put the trash out and when I asked him to get my bicycle down from the bike rack in the garage, Taylor came back into the house and sighed. ” Mom, you sure you don’t want a new bicycle.? How old is that one? I can get you one with a side mirror and a horn and a basket to carry your cell phone in., maybe one with hand brakes or gears to make pedaling easier? Besides, your chain is loose and both of your tires are flat and they are old cracked and can’t be fixed. If you don’t want a new bike, at least you have to get new tires “
I didn’t tell him, but someone else was going to do that.
These children of mine seem to think that I am now the child. They make me call when I am out, and check in when I am in. They clarify my schedule, quiz me about my day, and need to know what I had for dinner. They inquire about my health, my sleep and what I watched on TV. They send me calendar invitations , remind me about appointments and provide unsolicited information about combing the back of my hair, cleaning out my cabinets or the features of a new bicycle with an extra wide seat………… They are all up in my business.
I know, and they do that I love them for taking care of me. They may worry that my hair is a mess, my cabinets are half empty and I have two flat tires.
I didn’t tell them, but I call it progress.
End of quote
I call it God walking with she and her family…Amen
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