Today it changed. Finding the perfect Mother's Day card for my mother changed. In fact, I got choked up a bit as I scanned the cards at my local store. Mother's Day is in about a week so I decided it was time to get something in the mail. Should I choose serious or funny? I gravitate toward funny but today "funny" didn't work - not for my mother, and not for this year.
You see my mother has reached a place where the humorous cards hit too close to home. I saw several that joked about their mother some day reaching the point where she would need them to diaper her instead of her diapering them. Hmmm. Can't send that one as Mom now needs help with this sort of thing. It would be cruel to make light of something so sensitive and probably humiliating to her.
Another card jokes about their mother reaching the stage of senility where she won't remember their name or some other important fact. Nope. Can't go there either.
Then deep in my heart I felt a sad ache. We have now arrived at those stages, those aging challenges to the point where joking about it is inappropriate. My mother is on the downward slope of mortal life. Clearly it is as hard for her as it is for me. Neither of us like what is happening. Neither of us want to say goodbye. Saying goodbye will happen though and each new weakness or challenge is God's way of nudging me to say what needs to be said, and do what needs to be done -- nothing huge - just simple acts of love is all that is required. And loving her today means buying a serious mother's day card telling her I love her and always will.
Happy Mother's Day Mom.
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