It was 27 years ago today that Mom’s journey with Daddy,
their life together, ended. The “till
death do us part” became all too real.
They had lived through so many things together. Their teen years with school and church
activities, their marriage and moving away from family for Daddy’s job, the separation
of World War II, settling back home again to raise their five children on a
small farm and so much more.
The majority of their life together held much of the “in
health” portion of their marriage vows.
There was very little of the “in sickness” part. Mom had an ovarian tumor that, once removed,
led to our family of five children, but otherwise there were just little
backaches here and allergies there.
Daddy never missed work other than a short fight with an unfriendly
kidney stone. Sad to say but I think I
brought more doctor visits into their lives with my once a year bouts of bronchitis
than they ever had to deal with themselves.
That all changed when Alzheimer’s slowly drew them deep into
the “in sickness” part. When Daddy first
retired, he was forgetting things but he was still himself. His quiet, deep love for his God, his family,
his friends and his life was still evident.
They took time to travel – helping move my little family to
Montana and get us settled, visiting the next year with my sister and her
children, moving my little family back home, camping their way through Canada, and
flying to England for the birth of a granddaughter.
Being at home during that time meant taking care of
grandchildren. Most days they had at
least six or eight and sometimes all of them.
I know they had my two and my sister’s four all the time. There was none of the “spoiling” going
on! I went to work knowing that my
children would have the same upbringing I did.
They played all day on the farm but had to behave properly. They were disciplined but definitely loved.
.jpg) |
| Five of the six grandchildren that spent the most time with Mom and Daddy. My two on each end and three of my sister's in the middle. |
As time went on, the grandchildren grew and went off to
school and no longer needed Grandma and Grandpa on a daily basis. Daddy’s Alzheimer’s progressed but Mom,
learning as she went, dealt with the changes.
Nine years after he retired the life changing moment came. In the time it took to give Daddy a sedative
he went from a physically healthy 69 year old who could still run and jump
fences to a man who could no longer walk.
Mom had seen Daddy through so much of the decline but I
think God knew that Mom would not be able, physically, to handle the next
stages if Daddy’s mobility continued.
So, in that brief moment, He made sure that Mom would be able to see
Daddy through the remainder of their lives together.
Daddy went into the nursing home and Mom was with him every
day from breakfast to dinner for two years.
She saw that he was fed and cared for and, even when he didn’t know her,
her love for him continued. She truly
exemplified the meaning of “in sickness and in health” and “till death do us
part”.
Mom has been 27 years without Daddy now. As her journey through dementia continues,
the memory of Daddy is fading. There are
few days now when Mom recognizes his picture.
Despite that, I have full faith that when God is ready to take Mom home,
Daddy will be waiting for her and there will be much singing in heaven for
their reunion.
No comments:
Post a Comment