Mother’s Day is this Sunday. Families all over will be planning the usual celebrations to acknowledge their mothers in an appropriate way. Our family is no exception.
This year for me will be different, though. I had foot surgery this past Monday and I must say it really threw me for a loop. I am a fiercely independent person, and the surgery has restricted me more than I had imagined it would. I cannot put any weight on my operated foot, and my other leg has been weakened by previous surgeries and a damaged nerve.
That has left me at the mercy of others.
My husband and son have been outstanding, going above and beyond to meet my every need. One of my sisters in law is a nurse and has been over every day, doing what she can to make me more comfortable. My own Florence Nightingale, so to speak. All of my family members have been great.
But there is one person who has been here with me, quietly, everyday, filling in whenever my husband had to go to work so I would not have to be left alone. She made sure I ate and would not become malnourished, is keeping my spirits up mentally and spiritually, gets me new nightgowns so I would be comfortable … and on and on. And that person is my mother.
My mother Rosetta is 78 years old, which by today’s standards still makes her a spring chicken. She is far younger than that in body and spirit. Her energy is endless, her generosity knows no boundaries, and the word "no" is not something that is in her vocabulary when dealing with others. Every day she continues to demonstrate the most caring and unselfish heart God has ever put on this earth. She is from a dying breed, women who raised big families and lived totally unselfish lives. Those of you who have been around Lynbrook long enough know the women I am talking about: Pat Hughes, Ellen Curran, Helen Gordon, and on and on.
My mother is amazing. Anyone who has met her will tell you that. She lives every day of her life doing good things for others. Cooking and baking for everybody and anybody, offering services of any kind to whoever is in need. She is a walking beatitude, if you could use that word in that way. Lucky for me this past week I have been the recent recipient of that. But then again, that is what she has been doing for me and my six siblings and all of our families all of our lives. She is living proof that a mother is a mother is a mother. And I am living proof that you are never too old to need your mother to take care of you. How lucky am I?
She has taught me so many things, has set such wonderful examples for all of my brothers and sister that I am putting together memories we all have of things she has taught us. The title of the book will be “Did You Change Your Underwear Today, Lessons My Mother Taught Me”. While the title might sound humorous — and some of the stories are — the lessons are real, practical and life-changing.
So Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. I wish you all good things, and that God will bless you and give you the strength and good health you need to continue on for years to come. Love you, Mom.
