Who She Was

It had been five days of complete misery.   Bed ridden with a high fever, loss of appetite, lethargy… I didn’t even have a taste for my daily coffee.  She finally convinced me:  go to the doctor.   So I did.  Mustering every bit of energy I could, I headed to the professionals to find out what was wrong.

Pneumonia.  My second bout with it in 30 years of life.

Being who she was, she convinced me that she was coming to get me.   The idea of her daughter, living by herself, dealing with this alone…. well, unacceptable in her mind.

Two hours later she was at my doorstep.  She had left her home in Carmel and made the trek to Cincinnati almost immediately.  I remember her helping me walk to the car, as I had so little energy and could barely do it on my own.

Even though I felt like I was on my death bed, she managed to make those next few days-- spent mostly resting in my childhood bed--memorable and comforting. So much so that here I am reminiscing and writing about it today.

She baked and cooked…whatever I wanted.  I remember:  “whatever sounds good to you, Karen.”  I remember Easter bread (a family favorite during the Easter season, even though it wasn’t Easter) and homemade vegetable soup and milkshakes.  I remember rented movies from Blockbuster.  I remember my Mom at her best.

Slowly I gained some semblance of strength and health. She drove me back to Cincinnati. 

It really was a small window of time in the big picture of my life.  Yet, it has such significance now.  Not only because of the memories it gives me, which I treasure.  But also because it is a clear reminder to me of something about her:

These were the ways she knew to love best:   nurturing, giving, caring, helping.  Being selfless. 

I am sure any of you who knew her could offer a similar story of my Mom. To know her was to have experienced this from her.    

When others were in need or hurting, or at their worst, she was at her best.

It is just who she was.

 Thank you for all the years of selflessness and being there for me, Mom.

What an example you were.

Happy Mother’s Day.