I know I have written that my mother is battling ovarian cancer. I have not written about it a great deal-it is hard to deal with and it can be hard to share at times. Sometimes I feel like a dam breaking when people ask me about it-it just depends on my mood that day. I will say how proud I am of her-she has dealt with so much and with a lot of guts and determination.
My family and I went to visit her and my dad this weekend. They live on the Chesapeake Bay-a really beautiful spot on the water. A neighboring town, Heathesville, has their annual Strawberry Festival the Saturday before Memorial Day. I knew my family would be up for going, but I wasn't sure if my mom would feel up to going. Thankfully, she was, so we all pilled into our van and spent a few hours looking at the many different artisans that had set up tents with their products to sell. Many towns along the Chesapeake Bay have farmer's markets on the weekends-they usually each have a Saturday to themselves-Heathesville one Saturday, Deltaville the next, Irvington the next, and so on. You usually always see someone that you know, which makes it even more fun.
The weather was beautiful, a little on the cool side for the end of May, but sunny none the less. We came home, ate lunch, and my youngest was eager to get into the pool. The water was a chilly 72 degrees, a little warmer than the air temperature, so she went in. My mom and I enjoyed the sun for the afternoon-I getting a little crispy, she covered under a towel to stay warm. My mom is usually tanner than most, so this was different for her, but I was glad to have her outside with my youngest daughter and myself.
We ventured back inside to start dinner around 5-we planned on watching "Life of Pi" after we ate. My parents had the movie, but had waited to watch it with all of us. My husband and I were making dinner and I noticed my mom sitting in the Florida room, a little teary and clearly tired. She rested while we happily made dinner for her and my dad, but by movie time, she came to us so exhausted she could not watch it with us.
All she wanted to do was spend time with us, she said. Her exhaustion was overwhelming-I could see it in her eyes, but it was her disappointment that was the most apparent. We told her it was alright, we understood. She had spent the whole day with us-we knew it took a lot out of her to be outside and walking for a long period of time. My youngest kept telling her not to cry and it was okay. She asked if she could walk Mimi(her name for my mom) upstairs with me. As they turned to go up, Emma took her hand and walked her to her bedroom and helped her into bed, telling her a story about a friend from school and making my mom laugh.
As I write this with tears in my eyes, I write it with a great deal of love and pride for the tenderness my eleven year old showed that night-without any prompting, all on her own. I am definitely one proud mama.
My family and I went to visit her and my dad this weekend. They live on the Chesapeake Bay-a really beautiful spot on the water. A neighboring town, Heathesville, has their annual Strawberry Festival the Saturday before Memorial Day. I knew my family would be up for going, but I wasn't sure if my mom would feel up to going. Thankfully, she was, so we all pilled into our van and spent a few hours looking at the many different artisans that had set up tents with their products to sell. Many towns along the Chesapeake Bay have farmer's markets on the weekends-they usually each have a Saturday to themselves-Heathesville one Saturday, Deltaville the next, Irvington the next, and so on. You usually always see someone that you know, which makes it even more fun.
The weather was beautiful, a little on the cool side for the end of May, but sunny none the less. We came home, ate lunch, and my youngest was eager to get into the pool. The water was a chilly 72 degrees, a little warmer than the air temperature, so she went in. My mom and I enjoyed the sun for the afternoon-I getting a little crispy, she covered under a towel to stay warm. My mom is usually tanner than most, so this was different for her, but I was glad to have her outside with my youngest daughter and myself.
We ventured back inside to start dinner around 5-we planned on watching "Life of Pi" after we ate. My parents had the movie, but had waited to watch it with all of us. My husband and I were making dinner and I noticed my mom sitting in the Florida room, a little teary and clearly tired. She rested while we happily made dinner for her and my dad, but by movie time, she came to us so exhausted she could not watch it with us.
All she wanted to do was spend time with us, she said. Her exhaustion was overwhelming-I could see it in her eyes, but it was her disappointment that was the most apparent. We told her it was alright, we understood. She had spent the whole day with us-we knew it took a lot out of her to be outside and walking for a long period of time. My youngest kept telling her not to cry and it was okay. She asked if she could walk Mimi(her name for my mom) upstairs with me. As they turned to go up, Emma took her hand and walked her to her bedroom and helped her into bed, telling her a story about a friend from school and making my mom laugh.
As I write this with tears in my eyes, I write it with a great deal of love and pride for the tenderness my eleven year old showed that night-without any prompting, all on her own. I am definitely one proud mama.
