A Dignified Life

For the past several decades, my mom has cared for elderly family members. Beginning with her mother over 25 years ago, my mom has given her time and her home to relatives whose days were dwindling. My mom has taught me so much with her generosity and kindness that I hope that someday I’m able to do the same for her.

Recently I helped my mom clean out my Aunt’s room. Mom had cared for Aunt Helen for almost two decades, until her death this past year. During the last several years, she also cared for my dad’s elderly sister. Both were becoming more and more like children as they aged. I know my mom was worn out from caring for them. And yet, when we found the unopened box of tranquility diapers in Aunt Helen’s closet, my mom broke down and cried. Despite the hard work of tending to two elderly women, my mom misses them both even now.

My mother cared for her sister and my dad’s sister with love and dignity. I know that some families have no choice but to utilize a nursing home but the kind of care my mother gave my aunts cannot be had in a nursing home. I know that if my mother ever needs that kind of care, I will be honored to be the one who tends to her needs in her final days. I would consider myself blessed for that opportunity.