Thanks mom for showing us how to love

When I saw my sister’s name pop up on my phone, I knew it was not good news.

 It was 15 minutes to 8 as I was backing out of my driveway, so I already knew something had happened to my mom. Unfortunately, she had fallen during the early morning in her room and did not have the strength to stand up.

EMS was called and she was taken to the hospital in Milledgeville. Thankfully, the X-ray showed everything was clear and she was negative from the other tests they put her through. She was able to return home on the same day.

I remember a time, not long after my parents’ divorce, my mom was packing up the suitcases so that we could visit my grandparents in Toccoa. She sent my brother and I outside so we to play before leaving. We ended up next door playing basketball with some of our friends. Now, what could possibly go wrong?

My brother and I were on opposite teams – and of course – we had to guard each other. The last play of the game was when we both went up for a rebound and he beat me to it. Unfortunately, the ball bent my brother’s pinkie finger back and he screamed out in pain. Game over.

I ran the short distance home and told my mother, who had to take my brother to the hospital. This was nothing new for my mom. When my brother was little, he fell and hit his head on the piano bench – twice. Both times required stitches. And both times, mom was there to comfort him.

I never hit my head on the piano bench. But I do recall the time in first grade when I was going down a slide and my so-called friend who wanted to slide with me at the same time, pushed me over when we were halfway down. I landed awkwardly on the ground. I knew something was not right, but since the teacher was calling us to go back into the classroom, I just slowly walked up the hill to the school.

I did not say anything to my teacher. I waited for my bus number to be called and was transported to the daycare center where my brother was attending kindergarten. I had a little cubby area where I had clothes and shoes to change into after I arrived.

The only problem was, I could not put on my right shoe because my ankle was swollen. My crying drew the attention of a teacher, who looked at my foot and called my mom. She got off work, came to the daycare and we went to the hospital. Thankfully, it was nothing serious. I twisted my ankle when I landed.

My mom had sharp hearing. If her children coughed after being put to bed, she was right there with the cough syrup. When I woke up with an earache – something I used to have a lot when I was a child – she had the ear drops ready to put in my ear. If my foot hurt, in the middle of the night, she would sit on the couch and rub my foot. Yes, it was the middle of the night. Yes, she had to wake up early the next morning to cook our breakfast and make sure we had lunch money and all of the other stuff three children needed to go to school.

But she was always there.

I have heard it said parents raise their children into adults, only to have them turn around and help their parents when they are older. But after everything they have done for their children, it seems right to do so.

My mom modeled how one should look after the ones they love. And that’s a lesson I am proud to have learned.

Happy Mother’s Day.