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.