Aren't these birds beautiful? They look as if they're having fun, and just looking at them can make one smile.
Okay, I haven't smiled much the past month. You girls were so supportive when my mother had her surgery. Her dementia is still bad on some days, but other days she's pretty good. At least her doctor at the hospital thinks she's good enough to be released. They want her to go to a nursing home to recover.
My mother spent a couple of months in a nursing home when she had knee surgery, and it was not a pretty sight. I decided she needs to stay here with us until she recovers. I'm not sure how well she'll recover. All I know is that multiple nurses, techs and therapists, even doctors, have remarked about how much better Mom responds to treatment when I walk in the door. She might be refusing to eat, and I'll walk in and she'll pick up her fork. She may be refusing to exercise (she hates physical therapy) but then I'll walk in and she'll suddenly grab the walker to show me how much she can do. And if that's not enough, when Mel walks in he can actually make her laugh. He's the first one to say "I love you" and that heals something inside her.
So what does that have to do with flamingoes? The other day I was sitting in Mom's hospital room, which has a window that overlooks the roof of the rest of the hospital building. Not far from her window there was a poor ol' pigeon hunkering down under the sun, head drooped, wings drooped, tuckered out. Suddenly it began to rain hard. What a beautiful sight after the drought we've had! I looked back out at that bird and showed Mom. He was dancing! He wasn't skittering for cover from the rain, he was jittering his wings and dancing in the rain. I think that bird suddenly felt the love of God touch him with what he needed worst--water.
I think that's what keeps us going when we're sick or depressed or struggling under a great load--love. Just the way Mom perks up when someone who loves her walks in to see her, just the way we perk up when someone reminds us we're special to them.
Gotta tell you, girls, you're special to me. Please pray, and if you have any advice, send it on. I want to care for my mother well and get her back on her feet. You're a praying group, and so filled with goodness from God. Please keep praying for our beloved Diann. Pray hard. Please don't stop. We need the strength of your love right now. Bless you all.
Labels: Dancing in the Rain, Flamingoes, photos by Eugene Arthur Patterson, Refreshed, reminder of grace
Aren't these birds beautiful? They look as if they're having fun, and just looking at them can make one smile.
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4 Comments:
in my thoughts and prayers,
as for taking care of your mom, a LOt of patience , love, enjoy the moments when you can laugh with each other, comfort, ensure her.
blessings
Since I've started and reading this blog, my admiration for you has increased. I used to admire you only as an authoress, but now I see you as so much more than that! you are so beautiful and brave! May God keep granting you strength and courage. You, Diann, Your mom and the rest of you are in my prayers. I stayed up last night in a prayer vigil until 4 a.m., and you guys where there close to my heart. God bless you for everything you may not know you've done for me.
My prayers are going up for you, your Mom, Mel and Diann!
Cheryl,
Keep smiling and dancing. I love the illustration of the pigeon dancing in the rain. It is great that your mother will respond to you and Mel. Like I told you in one of your other posts, my mother responded best to my then, 3 month old daughter. We had mom come and stay with us too and that was the best thing we could have done. She stayed in a nursing home for a month after she broke her hip, but healed enough without surgery to be able to come home with us. It was definately a God thing, as we sold our house in 1 day, she sold her house in 1 day and we found a perfect house for us all to live in together within a month. Sadly, she was only with us another few months, but her last days were spent with us. Also, I have been reading more of your books! I really love them, the Hideaway Series. Still praying!
Blessings,
Wendy
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