This seems a bit unusual but I feel like putting this sign on my Mom’s front door: Welcome Back, We Missed You! She wasn’t out of town. Instead, her spirit has been cloaked in the pain of a chronic illness that took away some of her independence.

The other day one of my sisters and I stared at each other in amazement as my mother seemed to practically speed walk down the hall in her home. She had left behind the cane and walker that she had been relying on for the past year or so. For the past couple of weeks she has been cooking some of her own meals- nothing fancy- because she can now stand up long enough to maneuver around the kitchen. 

A little more than a month ago, doctors performed surgery on my Mom and predicted that it would ease some of her health problems. Day by day, she’s finding some of her old self. She’s happier. She’s feeling stronger and more confident. She’s able to do more things for herself, the way she wants them done. Maybe in coming weeks she’ll feel up to getting out of the house more often. 

It’s been hard watching my nearly 80-year-old mother suffer. She has good medical care and I’m grateful that the doctors were able to figure out what was going on. She still has some challenges but she also has a new vigor. 

My sisters and I have dared to start discussing the possibility that maybe, with some help, she’ll make her wonderful sweet potato pies for Thanksgiving.

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4. Writing a back to school contract
5. Take back the responsibility for educating your child