Today is my mom’s 91st birthday. Due to Covid-19 I can not be with her and it stinks. There. I said it. I am not happy about not being able to be with her as you all well know. But it is where we are at in this phase of our ongoing pandemic where the numbers are still of grave concern.
As I was thinking about writing this post I must admit I got a little bit choked up. My mom was always there for me. Birthdays were a big deal. After my dad died in 1994 it became very clear to me that losing a parent is one of the most difficult things a person can experience and I made it my mission in life to be there for my mom as much as I could be. I haven’t always been able to do that as much as I wished but I have tried.
The pandemic has affected everyone in so many ways but for those in nursing homes and care facilities it has been a nightmare. My mom’s dementia may be a blessing during times like this but I wonder how much she understands about why her family is not visiting. My brother and sister in law have been able to have outside visits with her and I am so grateful for that. As I write this her residence is shut down to visitation once again due to one positive case. So even if I could go see her I couldn’t.
So today instead I will reminisce about some of our fun times together. The ones when I was little and the ones when I was older. I will never forget that when we had Micah we did not want anyone to come stay with us. We wanted to do it on our own. But three weeks later when I really needed someone to come help my mom was on a plane without any questions. When Chris called her she dropped everything and came. That, my friends, is the unconditional love of a mother.
My last visit with her was on Valentine’s Day and I remember we laughed and looked at pictures. Even though she was a little fuzzy at times on who I was she still projected that fierce independence that I admire even if at sometimes it makes for a risky situation. She can still find humor in things and that is one thing that I absolutely love –she still has the ability to laugh at things.
Today her unit will celebrate with some special cupcakes and a celebration of her. Even though I am not able to be there I hope she realizes how much I love her and miss her. Counting the days until I can travel to Ohio again. Happy number 91 to my sweet mom.
