The last few days have been a little prickly.

While I care for another’s mom…

…my own was 600 miles and a snowy mountain range away in a hospital bed.

And Dad… well, he just doesn’t do so well without Mom these days.  He called each evening sounding lost.  My sister found him one night eating a donut and a yogurt for dinner.  (and since they don’t do the computer-blog reading thing, I won’t tell Mom if you won’t!)

The last few days were a lesson in patience and trust.  My daughterly desire to race over the mountain, give hugs, tidy the house and bake a few casseroles had to be set aside.  I knew Mom and Dad were in good hands.  They are in family hands, friend hands, church family hands, and most importantly… God’s hands.

I have to be honest though… I wondered a couple of times if I would see Mom again on this earth.  And I thought about things people say, like – “if I’d known I’d never see them again I would have said ________ (fill in the blank)”.

My Mom?  I can’t think of a thing that hasn’t been said.  Love is shared (easily).  Hard things have been spoken (not easily).  I believe it’s that honest, hard sharing that cleared the way for the good and loving.

For the past 36 years I have lived several hundred to several thousand miles away.  And yet, there is no distance between us.

Six months ago we sat on her sofa, a 60-something and an 80-something… laughing, crying, sharing our hearts.  We sat together in church singing praise to God.  We sat at her perfectly color-coordinated, properly set table for dinner with Dad – her husband of almost 66 years now.  And I am amazed.  And blessed.

Hundreds of miles away, the thought of her encourages me to do what I need to do… to say what I need to say.

Fortunately, Mom is out of the hospital and home.  I think there will be no more donut dinners for Dad.

I’ll be travelling there in the not too distant future.  Afterall, there are still stores to be shopped in, yummy desserts to be eaten (maybe fresh fruit would be better) and late-night gab fests to be had.

I’m so thankful for Mom’s legacy of love and honesty… if I only pass on a portion of it I’ll be doing great.