Chapter Ten:

     I have never thought of myself as doing something extraordinary when it comes to caring for my mother.  To be honest, that is my mother, my only one, the only one that I will ever have in life.  I have always believed that by caring for her, I am doing what anyone else in my situation would do.

     Nine years of watching the woman who once took care of me now needing me to take care of her was, and continues to be, a life-changing experience.  It feels like it was just yesterday that I was holding her hand in the hospital room, wondering how life could change so drastically, so quickly.  

     I have always desired to be there for my mother, even when I have felt completely drained.  As the years went by, so did the assistance of others who would help me care for her.  For anyone who may read this chapter and find themselves in a similar situation, my advice is to seek dependable and consistent help first.  Without that, regardless of how committed you may be and how much love you pour into caring for your loved one, you will eventually become drained, both physically and mentally.

     I had to face the fact that I couldn’t continue to do it all by myself.  Amazingly, my love for my mother gave me an unprecedented level of strength, something that I didn’t realize I had until it didn’t.  While it has been very difficult not to have my mother in my home, I have not regressed on my concern and interest in meeting her needs.  I have learned that caregiving didn’t cease after my mother began to live outside of my home.  Ensuring that she is properly cared for, cleaned, fed, and nourished, I continue to be one hundred percent involved.  Even more, having a mental connection with her is just as significant as it was when she was at home with me.  

No one will ever love your loved one as much as you.  No one will ever care for them the way that you would.  By having faith in God and His ability to surround her with angels, I and my family can rest and be assured that everything will be just fine.