Overcoming

 

 

Overcoming. A couple of weeks ago, my letter M post was about my marvelous mom, who was recovering from a stroke and doing it rather well. We were all buoyed and uplifted by her grace and determination as she fought her way back from not being able to speak and remembering only her name to fully regaining all of the function she had lost. I don't think I have to tell you that we were feeling blessed by her spirit and tenacity.

Last Saturday, two weeks to the day after her first ischemic stroke, Mom had a second one. Needless to say, it was frightening for my stepfather to hear her go from talking on the phone one moment to not being able to say much at all the next. She was reluctant to go to the hospital (yes, she is a stubborn one), so he called the paramedics, who immediately rushed her to the nearest medical center. Once again, she was hit directly in her speech center; and this time, her left side was slightly affected as well. The recovery in the hospital was more up and down than previously, and a positive outcome seemed less predictable. We worried; we prayed; we worried; we prayed. We bargained with the Lord; we surrendered ourselves to His will. We bargained, surrendered, bargained, surrendered. When push came to shove, we realized that the outcome rests in His hands, that He has a plan for Mom, and that we need to trust in that plan.

I arrived in town yesterday (my sister Nikki was here for the first few days), and Mom came home from the hospital hours before I arrived. Happily, her mental faculties and acuity have bounced back once again, but physically she has some healing to do. Walking is difficult, not only because of her stroke but because she is suffering from an attack of gout. Clearly, she will need some physical therapy to strengthen her legs and restore her mobility, but we are all putting our money on her. It would be crazy not to, as she is the epitome of my N post last week: Never, Never, Never Give Up! And boy, are we glad.

A happy note is that a sort of impromptu family reunion has sprung up all of a sudden, with my siblings and my children driving or flying into town this weekend to offer their love and support in person. While Mom was aware that Dave and I were coming, we have decided to surprise her with the rest. Nothing makes her heart happier than to see her kids and grandkids walk through the door, and lifting her spirits in that way is bound to help her heal. Of course, we will be careful not to tire her out and will pay close attention to balancing her competing needs for companionship and alone time.

Thanks for so many emails sent, good wishes offered, and prayers extended. Every one is much appreciated by Mom, our family, and me. All is well; the Lord is in charge, and we are grateful.

=)

 

for more O posts, click below

 

Never Give Up

Never, never, never give up.

Winston Churchill

(Not on the world, and not on each other.)  

∞§∞

The Power is Ours

©2013 Susan Noyes Anderson

If every star in heaven's sky surrendered to the night,

perhaps the moon would lose heart and concede the steady light

that anchors every one of us until the sun's return.

Our universe has much to teach us; will we watch and learn?

The brightness sought by all mankind is carried in each soul,

a birthright and a legacy to make our spirits whole.

The power is ours to be the stars that grace each other's skies

or vanish into darkness, vanquished by our own disguise.

{keep shining}

for more N posts, click here

A Guilty Pleasure

The occasional guilty pleasure lights up my life––and my library––so I'm here to share a frothy summer novel with all of you (my favorite readers). It's title is While We Were Watching Downtown Abbey, written by Wendy Wax, an author I accidentally tripped over before falling headfirst into an inexplicably fizzy pool of warm and fuzzy fun.

I freely admit that While We Were Watching is no literary masterpiece; in fact, it's chick lit squared, but it tickled my fancy enough that I read it straight through in one sitting. I'm not exactly certain what it was I found so captivating, but let it be said that I was captivated all the same. For reasons beyond any form of rational analysis, I grinned all the way through it.

Would you believe me if I said that I inhaled the tasty little tome like cherry soda, entirely against my will? Check it out, and let me know if your power to resist is stronger than mine.

{just don't be smug about it}

;)

My Marvelous Mom

Many of my regular readers know and love my mom and have asked for a report on her recent stroke. I would like to thank each one of them in her behalf for the care and concern they communicated to us by email and Facebook. We definitely felt those prayers!

On Saturday, August 3rd, our family went through quite a scare with my 86-year-old mother. She'd had a TIA recently (in addition to a couple of others in the past), so she and my stepfather initially assumed the "real deal" was simply another one of the fleeting episodes she'd experienced before. The incident began with garbled speech and difficulty reading the puzzle she was doing. By the time it ended, she was unable to speak or read at all. Her memory was affected, too, and the only answer she could come up with to the competency questions was her name.

Happily, Sunday the 4th was a remarkable day of healing for Mom. As the hours passed, she went from recalling only her name and speaking in monosyllabic sentences to communicating and remembering pretty well. In fact, by the time I arrived that evening, she was able to carry on a full conversation, though it was clear she was having to reach for some of the words. Mom felt a bit groggy, but her diction was perfect; and her memory was nearly 100%.

On Monday the 5th, our favorite patient continued to improve by leaps and bounds. Last Tuesday, we were delighted and grateful to leave the hospital and take her home. When they drove me to the airport Saturday, she was doing as well as ever...a truly amazing recovery, made even sweeter by the fact that August 12th marked their 41st wedding anniversary. Mom and the most thankful and relieved husband in the history of husbands celebrated with some of their best friends, who were as thrilled as we all were to see them hand-in-hand for the big day.

One of the most touching parts of being with Mom and Dick last week was observing their love for one another in action. He is such a tender caretaker, and each night they take turns leading a family prayer. Without fail, the two of them express gratitude to the Lord for their years together and ask for as much time here as He is willing to give them.

I hope He gives them many more years, and I am more grateful than words can tell that my mom is still with us...in every sense of the word.

Do you know how cherished you are, Mom? Not just by us, your children; not just by your husband, but by so many friends who reached out to you. Everyone was calling, bringing in a meal, or just wanting to visit. I guess it's true that what goes around comes around, and you deserve every bit of it.

Sure do love you!

{love being your daughter, too}

♥♥♥

for more M posts, click below

Look at them Lemons

These mutant lemons graced our tree.

At least, they did 'til recently.

We plucked them from a leafy bough

to share them with you, here and now.

How d'ya like them lemons?
WOW!!

for more L posts, click below

 

Fly Me to the Moon

©2013 Susan Noyes Anderson

When I said, Fly me to the moon,

I did not mean by car.

If hot air's all you have to offer,

we won't get too far.

Balloons in every color never

won this woman's heart.

The man who keeps my engine running

has his own kickstart.

Oh sure, the props are pretty, and

the sky is bright and blue.

But if your kiss can't take me there,

I'm not the girl for you!

for more mags, click below