My mother lay curled up in the bed watching TV, or maybe
like me—the TV is watching her. As the sounds of the church program drone on in
the background, my mother looks to be deep in thought. I look at her fragile
form cocooned in the center of the bed—the only place she wants to be—and my mind
takes me back to one of my favorite stories that she used to tell.
Coming home from work on the second shift one night, she
boarded the front of a standing-room only bus. Holding on to the pole with one
hand and her purse secured in the fold of her other arm, she felt something move
against her and turned to look. A man had his hand in her purse. Reminiscent of a scene taken right out of Langston Hughes "Thank You Ma'am" when Roger tried to snatch Luella Bates Washington Jones purse, the tables turned on my mother's would-be-thief.
As the words, “You roguish motherfucker!” rolled off her
tongue, my mother drew back and left-hand slapped him. “If you steal from me,
you’ll steal from your momma.” SLAP! “It’s a hundred passengers on this bus.
Why you single me out?” SLAP! “Cuz I’m small?” My mother said the people on the
bus watched in stunned silence, but parted like the Red Sea as she slapped the
man from the front of the bus to the back. The bus stopped. The driver opened
the door, the guy exited, and my mother went on home.
Like Schroeder’s blanket, this story comforts me as I adjust
to this period of change for her and me. The mother I remember is the one from
the bus: strong-willed, resilient, and tenacious and with a tongue that cut like
a fine blade. I’m trying to get used to this “little old lady” lying in the
bed, and it’s a struggle for me. Like many children, I believed my mother to be
Invincible and Immortal. But the reality is that she is neither.
A solid-size 12-14, I bought my mother some pants recently
and I was shocked when the 6 was too big. I know she had lost weight, but there
was no way to know how much because she wears pajamas all the time.
Because my mother was still going to the farm to pick fresh fruits and
vegetables into her early 70s, I was not prepared for that trip down the one-way
street to old age in her late 70s. The signs have been visible: rails in the
bathroom, the portable toilet, putting her meds in the weekly container every
Sunday morning so she knows what to take and when, but I rally against her
aging and I am losing.
My mother says she’s tired. She says she has lived her life.
And my feelings vacillate with this notion of her believing that her life is
done. Sometimes I’m angry, other times, I’m sad, but always I am thankful for
her 80 plus years on the planet even though I want her to live to be 100. The adult in me knows that her declining
health is taking its toll; the child in me wants her to be the fighter that she
used to be. But who am I to dictate how she lives her last days? My mother has
always been one tough cookie, and maybe, just maybe she is tired of fighting.
My mother has made her peace with God and her time on this
earth. And I am working on making peace with my mother.
This brought tears to my eyes,Stephanie.
ReplyDeleteLynne
Thank you Lynne. It was a difficult piece to write, but a necessary one. I want other caretakers to know that they are not alone. Sometimes we think that we are the only ones going through something, but when we share, we learn that we are not.
DeleteThis is beautiful, Stephanie. Than you for writing and sharing it.
DeleteThanks for taking the time to read and comment.
DeleteGreat Job Steph. I'm actually sitting at work with tears in my eyes. Those of us fortunate enough to have seasoned parents know exactly what you're going through. All I can saty is Peace Be Still!
ReplyDeleteThanks Cassie. I am working on it daily. My will is not my mother's.
DeleteStephanie:
ReplyDeleteThis piece hit home for me. My mother once had a similar experience as yours in a public location, and my mom defended herself readily against her would-be attacker. And she won. That dumb, fleeing predator had no idea my mom was the wrong person to single out! I smile each time I think of that story because my mom is not a big lady, but ooh, is she tough!
My mom is not too far behind yours in years, and speaks of being tired a lot. It hurts because we want to freeze time in a way, and have our parents be the people we've always known.
Thank you for sharing this moving piece and hard truth. You say you're working on making peace with your mom, and I hope you find that peace. xo
On a different note, I've enjoyed your blog so much that yours was one of the blogs I "presented with" the Liebster Award. Stop by my blog for a moment to read my shout out to your spot.
Blessings to you and mom...
Thank you Janette! I was away for a couple of days of rest and relaxation. So, I haven't been online much. I so appreciate the nomination and I am glad that you like my blog. I enjoyed your site when I visited it as well. I'm also going to check out some of the other sights that you mentioned. Again, thank you,
DeleteI feel your sentiment and your range of emotions. Very well written, as usual.
ReplyDeleteThanks Daughter. I believe there are some things that make us grow up more than others. Being a caretaker is definitely at the top o the real grown up list.
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