I am really pondering some things this weekend. I want to stress to all of you to cherish your Mothers. You will never know how much you miss them until they are no longer on this earth for you. 

I have had it brought home to me really hard the last while just how important this is. 

To many people take their Mother for granted. I have seen so much hurt this week amongst some seniors I know personally. Hurt from the disregard of feelings and needs. Feelings and needs that would so easily be made better by just a few extra moments of someone's time.

I am going to touch on only 3 seniors that I know and have talked to this last while. I will not use names as that would not be right.

I am a monitor person for a couple of different senior citizens that live near me. 

One of them is a little old lady and she is such a sweet lady. I knew that once again she had been left alone, so I took her a bowl of fresh hot homemade stew and a piece of pumpkin pie fresh from the oven for supper tonight just because I wanted to and figured it would save her from having to make her own supper for a change.

I found her in tears because she was feeling that she was a burden to her daughter. Why was she feeling this way? Gee I wonder. She had found out that her daughter had called another family member and asked them to take her off their hands for the holiday season so that they could have time without her around. The rest of our conversation I will keep to myself as it was between her and I.

It is made very clear to her that she is in the road most of the time. Not so much with words but with actions and looks and attitude. This senior although somewhat medically handicapped has a very alert mind and she cooks and cleans and does many different kinds of crafts. 

Her tear filled eyes looked at me as she said "I did not plan on being in the road and I did not plan on living here." Due to an accident she had little choice. As her tears slid down her face my heart hurt for her. All this dear soul wants is some time spent with her and to feel she is wanted and needed. 

I will most definitely make a point to spend some extra time with her even if it is just a phone call or a quick pop in for a chat.

I am sure she is not perfect and hey she may be hard to live with at times but surely she deserves some special time from her family while she is alive to enjoy it.

One of my dear friends - also a senior -- lost her granddaughter recently to a very tragic accident. She called me today to touch base and tell me she loved me. During the conversation I learned that her feelings were being so disregarded by her children. Like what she felt did not matter or count for anything. 

None of them feel she could be hurting as much as they are at this loss and have let her know that is how they feel. 

They have no time for her and have forgotten that she to treasured this child and is feeling a terrible loss inside. They have forgotten that she was always there for them while they were growing up but now that she is a senior she is not worth some of their time in return.

All she is asking for is a bit of time for someone to listen now and then. I am many hundreds of miles from her but I make it a point to stop whatever I am doing to listen when she calls. It only takes a few minutes out of my day to lend a shoulder. 

There is another very special lady in my life --  someone I love with all my heart -- she is loving and kind and giving. She is also very lonesome. She has a son of her own but he does not give her the time of day.

Does she get melancholy? Does she have bad days? Does she get lonely? Does it sometimes seem she is depressed? Most definitely all of the above. Knowing you are dying of cancer and there is no cure can do that to you ! On the other hand -- hello son -- it is not catching !!

She has not seen her grandson since he was tiny because her son has a life or so he says and it is to busy to take time out for her. Her son did send her flowers once awhile back and she was thrilled for days. To bad he could not of heard the joy in her voice as she told me about those flowers. His only contact in years.

Did he forget she gave him life? Did he forget she paid his way through college and worked whatever jobs she could to feed and cloth him. Along the way maybe she made some mistakes but life happens and it is full of mistakes. That is how people learn what not to do. 

All I know for sure is that I would give all I have for 5 more minutes with my Mother that raised me and my Mother-in-law that I lost last year. Just to hug them and to tell them I love them would mean the world to me.

Did we get along perfect all the time?  No we did not. 

Did we have some real rip roaring arguments? Yes we sure did. 

Were there mistakes made ? Most definitely both on their parts and mine.

Did I ignore either of them? No I did not. I thanked God for them every day of my life.

Someday I will be a senior to and I hope and pray that my children and grandchildren will still love me and want me around. I hope and pray that they will still have some time for a doddering old lady that might not always make sense anymore. I hope they will remember how deeply I love them and that I would give them anything I had if they wanted it. All I ask in return is a few minutes of their time now and then when I am old and gray and probably senile.

Please take some time for your Mother. Remember she took the time to give you life. Good or bad -- mistakes made along the way or not -- she is still your Mother. One day you will be old like her. Think about that.
 

Until next time 
God Bless
Misker