A Mother so Dear....

  Last night was one of those nights where I could not sleep. I finally nodded off at 3:30, just to be awakened at 5:00 with an ailing child. Ugg. I could not get up for the longest time. I was soo extremely tired. After forcing myself up and 'trying to help'....misnaming every item I was looking for...heating pad, ibuprofen, arnica etc...I managed to bring the teen some small semblance of relief.
   I got back to bed at 5:30 and still couldnt sleep because  I thought about MY mom. You see, by the time I was 12 years old I had had 7 surgeries. Tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy twice, tubes in my ears 5 times and an appendectomy. (Thank you medical world for removing every filtering system from my body. No wonder why I am chronically ill at 42!) And all of those surgeries were accompanied by dozens and dozens of chronic ear infections. I would have to ask mother, but I would say in my pre teen years I likely had....30 ear infections? Oh and not to mention, since I was ill all of the time, I liked to end up in the hospital dehydrated. In which case they would give me an IV...I hated that.
  All of this to say; every ailment I had (and I was a whine baby, not stout like my children) was handled by my mother. She would stay up at night for hours rubbing my face and saying 'go to sleep'. I remember seeing her sitting there stroking my head with her eyes closed and I thinking 'she it trying to make me tired by closing her eyes'...How many nights she stayed up with me sick I will never know. At least one for every surgery and ailment listed above...and you know what?? She worked a FULL TIME job. Yes she did. Every day Monday through Friday for as long as I can remember she had a job to go to.
  So as I was sitting there last night, finally, after so many years, I (guiltily) realized that she never once complained that I can recall. I never remember her saying "Dana I have to go to bed so I can go to work tomorrow'...I never heard her say the next day, 'Hey Im tired I was up with you all night'. I never once heard her say a negative word about all of the hours of missed sleep and ministering to me that she did.
  What a wonderful and sweet example of motherhood my mother is to me. Why it took me so long to realize her great sacrifice to me I shall never know. I have never had a chronically sick child as you may have. You may know the hours ,the strain and the sacrifice involved in caring for so needy a child. Wow, when I grow up, I want to be a wonderful mother like my mom.
  I love my mother dearly and we have such a great relationship. The only hard thing about moving our family here was leaving my parents. Thank God for planes, phones and technology that keeps us connected!
  When I thought to write this it hadnt occurred to me that Mothers Day was coming up. Since it is, I will take this opportunity to say "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM! YOURE THE GREATEST MOTHER THAT EVER LIVED AND I LOVE YOU DEARLY! ALL MY LOVE TO YOU!"
  I hope I look like her when I grow up too! :)