Saturday, September 25, 2010

Chewing has become a chore!

I wrote a post last year about my amazing strong mum.  But this year her health took a turn.  She had this cough for months, seems to be getting better, yet it just lingers.  She is unable to chew and refuses to eat much.  Well that was also one of the critical reasons why I made a choice to cook.  I had to be sure all dishes are boiled or stewed to a mush.  At least she is willing to eat a fistful of mush ... that's better than nothing.  

What's with mums too, she has been taking care of me all my life and here I am providing my 2 cents worth of advice and she refuses to listen.  Now I can understand my cousin's frustration with her sick ailing mum. They just don't listen to their children ... why???   But they will listen to their friends, what's with that.  I've always thought blood was thicker than water!!!

I read in the papers just a week ago, that the elderly are not getting enough nutrition and are not eating enough.  So I will now need to take into consideration her inability to chew into my meal plans (basic balanced meal) and yet cook food she might like to eat (but in mush form ... creative thinking needed here). 

They do get real fussy as they age, wonder what kind of old woman will I turn out to be?  

My MUM

For a 77 year, she's awfully energetic. She does the  laundry with her bare hands.
Don't know why, we do have this wonderful invention called the 'washing machine' that will get the job done in a spiffy.  And here she is laboring over Delicates AND Non-Delicates.  I could never understand but she claims that machine wash will ruin our clothes.  Colors will run and material will look worn out.

But there is a control button,  'WOOL'??? for Ultra Delicates, isn't there?

I do appreciate her concern to keep our clothes looking NEW, but  hand wash would simply WEAR HER OUT instead.  And NO she does not do my laundry haha, she does my boy's.  She refuses to allow me to wash his tees and shorts, because she knows I would simply dump them into the washer.

My success rate of washing boy's clothes in the machine is 7 times a year, when she's on vacation ... pant pant pant ... and  the rush to get them all washed and ironed before she returns.

Her other form of exercise is walking, not by the beach mind you.  She makes her rounds at the malls, and she could spend hours walking. She is definitely fitter than I'll ever be.

She is enjoying life now, I am glad.  I am grateful to GOD for his blessings of good health.

My mum has cared for us the best way she knew how.  When we were younger, I remember her slaving over the hot stove, laundry for a family of  7(including my aunts and uncle).  There was no washing machine then, you can imagine how exhausting it was.  I started helping with the housework at an early age. Washing the dishes, sweeping and mopping, ironing,  gardening etc.  It helped lessen her burden.

She slogged , slaved for both my brother and I.  She stuck around for us even when her marriage fell apart.

Our needs came first, and HER LIFE took a back seat.

All 50+ years, a future which looked quite bleak.  My mum made a decision, to carve out a life for herself.
Taking it one day at a time, she found new passion in sport(bowling), travels and friends. She made many new friends, and I could not be happier for her.

Are you holding back?  Are you putting your life in the back set for your husband, children, parents, job!!!
Will it be too late when you realize there is more to life and you just ran out of time?

Shall we not make that change and learn to 'LIVE' one day at a time for OURSELVES.

9 comments:

  1. Your mom is made of steel, as all mothers are! I love the way she is still in control. Maybe that sense of control keeps her going. I am so glad that she is there for Sage. Grandparents are a blessing, truly :)

    Have a lovely weekend dear Gaia.

    Joy always,
    Susan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow you have an amazing life. To care for your family like that is such a sacrifice and I feel extremely honorable. Thank you for sharing a little bit about her with us.

    I am glad you are back to blogging!

    ReplyDelete
  3. oh what a wonderful post!

    I love your mum! I hope I can bounce back and embrace life the way she has and I believe you have and will continue to do so. I think it's in the blood.

    My mother in law is the same, She travels, walks, floor curls, gardens cooks, you name it. She is 72. What an inspiration!

    good advice and I agree. Embrace the moment as you are in it. It makes life a lot more richer

    thank you for sharing
    have a wonderful weekend!

    ReplyDelete
  4. rofl Eat it and will have eternal life" was a good one rofl

    ReplyDelete
  5. So sorry to here that your mum isn't doing so well, it sounds like she is an amazing woman! It is so good of you to care for her too. I will keep you both in my prayers. Too funny on the handwashing the clothes, I couldn't stand that!

    So glad to have you back among the blogging world Gaia!

    God's blessings to you!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I remember reading this you wrote about your mum (I think -?-) but somehow yes-things have turned, for you, for your mum, for us all.

    And as I read this I have a different opinion or vision on it... MUMs age and get fussy and I also wonder , being fussy already- who's going to bear me when I am not 'useful' to anyone any more. It's sad that our lives go to such end- yet i believe there must be another way to live our last years, I mean a way in which we get free of all those things which tied us up to this life and which were not OUR things but those of the other ones around us.
    Thus,starting to be 'useful' for oneself.

    ;)
    Glad you are back!

    Dulce

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your mom sounds wondeful! But I know how that is when they prefer to listen to friends and not family:) You are doing write with her with mushing her food though I would suggest she go to a doctor and see if there is a fix--is it her teeth or jaw perhaps? Or is it the swallowing?

    ReplyDelete
  8. Hi Susan, Sage is lucky to have his grandma who dotes and pampers him, but I guess she wishes he was still 5 the age when he was still willing to tag along. He still does but not so much now.

    Hi Faith, thanks for coming by. Sacrifices need to be made, it's all part of our duty as mother and daughter. Just wished I had more energy to handle it well.

    Hope, we are lucky to still have our mums around. Praying for their good health to do all the things they wanted to do.

    Hi Renee, thanks for sharing that funny story.. my Sage is now afraid to eat Macs. :)

    Trudy, thanks for coming by. Your little one is so cute.

    Dulce, you are right, we have to start thinking for ourselves. I am so afraid to burden my son. I do not want to be a nuisance.

    Hi BM, thanks for your prayers.

    Terri, I tried getting her to the doctors, she refuses.. I am frustrated. happy to see you again.

    BLESSINGS TO ALL

    ReplyDelete

Love to hear from you! Blessings always

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...