Day 140 - May 20, 2011

My Mother - Helen Jean Bush Barnett

Doesn't she look beautiful!  It's so good to see her smiling like this!!!


Mother and Me

 Due to working late the past week or so (not to mention dealing with the pain of Fibromyalgia), I haven't been down to see mother in a little over a week.  That's the longest time that I've gone without seeing her since she's been in the nurisng home.  She is usually so tired in the evenings, that she's not really up to much company and to be honest, I wasn't either. So I decided that today I would take off work early and go spend a couple of hours with mother during the day while she's a little more alert and not so worn out.  I still ended up leaving work about an hour and a half past the time that I had originally planned to leave, but I got to the nursing home about 2:45 p.m. and stayed until 7:30 p.m. Mother and I had a really nice visit.  I fixed her hair for her, we read the bible, I helped her to the potty, helped her change clothes and fed her dinner.  And naturally, we had a mini photo session.

Praise the Lord, mother is doing so much better!  But even though she is doing better, she still has a long, long way to go.  She still can't really feed herself or hold her glass well without tipping it sideways.  And she still can't stand up, even with help, to get from the wheelchair to the potty or to the bed.  It is struggle to get these chores accomplished even with two people trying to help her.  I am praying, though, that perhaps the Lord is beginning to gradually heal those parts of her brain that were damaged with the many mini strokes that she has suffered, and that she has suffered no permanent damage.

It was difficult to hear her as she begged me multiple times to go home with me.  But I gently explained to her that she's not quite ready to go home with me.  I told her that if she goes to therapy and learns how to walk again, there's a possibility that one day she can come home.  She and I both need that hope!

We gave each other lots of hugs and kisses throughout the afternoon, and I gave her one last hug and kiss before I left (and told her not to cry).  I emphasized Phil. 4:13, which I remembered from reading Michelle's blog the other day:  I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!  I told mother to remember and claim that verse.  She can walk that wheel chair that seems hard, and she can relearn to walk, because Christ will give her the strength she needs to do any and ALL things!

My mother--she is definately a woman to treasure!  I am so thankful for the times that we have had together and pray that we will have many more days together, no matter how God chooses for us to spend them.