How to Survive the Winter of Your Life
You can remain strong in the broken places
My mother is an 87-year-old Parkinson’s patient. She was in a car accident years ago that caused a neck contracture, so her head is permanently bent to one side.
She recently came down with pneumonia and was hospitalized, followed by many weeks in a nursing home. Now she’s back in her assisted living apartment, albeit weakened and frailer. Her mind is mostly intact, with occasional forays into mild dementia.
Mom’s skin easily bruises and tears, and she must constantly guard against bed sores. She requires oxygen now, and we recently began hospice to better manage her care and quality of life.
You would think she’d be depressed and frightened by this challenging stage of life. Surprisingly, she’s not. In fact, she’s often cheerful.
They left me in a big hole
Mom called me yesterday on her speakerphone. The conversation went something like this:
Mom: “Hello my son, how are you doing?”
Me: “Pretty good, Mom, I just got done walking the dogs. How are you feeling today?”
Mom: “Oh, fine. Are we all set for Christmas? I want to make sure my cards go out.”
