aloha mom

For such a time as this...

Mom came expecting to stay a few weeks.  None of us

could have guessed or predicted she would stay with us

from December 16th to June 16th...6 months exactly.

She needed a place and we had one.

In this picture, right before we were ready to take one of the four of us,

Bobo said, "we need Gigi, she is a part of our family."  That was so

significant to mark this season when we embraced mom into our family

in the day to day.   Sometimes Bobo takes time to warm up, once he

does, he is pretty much all in.  And Andrew was amazing!  He embraced

mom as his own and was so patient and kind and gave a lot of

time towards helping her.  May I never forget his offering of love.

Day to day encompasses the good, bad, and

ugly...when you are talking family.  We did

not exclude Gigi from all our good, bad, and

ugly.  She was a part of us and so she got to

embrace what living with a family looked like.

We also expected her to fully live with us.

She could not disappear or remain invisible,

and we had to deal with conflict, the past,

our kiddos, disappointments...encased

in many many conversations.

Our most visible growth was mom started walking again

and lost 29 pounds while she lived with us.  I was so

proud of her.  It started with us going with her to show

her a walking route, sometimes going out looking for her when

she didn't show up, and even sometimes pushing her up the hill. 

(literally).  And ended with her going every morning on her own.

This was mom's room.  She felt very comfortable and at home here. 

If Carmel Bear could have gone with Gigi, I think he

might have,,,she took him on as her own. 

Ups and downs and all around's with this crew....but we all grew,

were stretched, and learned.

Aloha Mom....safe journey. 

 

Many meals of course shared with mom. 

 This was such a layered season.  Living with mom as an adult. 

Going through a lot of pain with mom of both her past and an uncertain future. 

 Dealing with mom's short term memory loss and all that goes with that reality

for now.   Working through different conflicts.

I grew to be very honest with mom.  I see how the pain of our

past left undealt, will continue to knock on the door of our

own hearts and everyone around us.  I saw how much my mom

loves me.  I pray she will thrive and take hold of this new season in her life.

Retired, but so not done.  Changed in some ways but not spent.

She is such a lovely, kind, aware, perceptive, patient, willing, open,

Child of God.  I am thankful for my mom.  I love her very much..