A Mighty Heart
Ironically, my last post was about my funny valentine, Gary. I posted it Sunday afternoon. Sunday evening, Gary suffered a mild stroke. He's out of the hospital already and still funny; but he knows he has a bad heart valve and will be seeing the cardioligist tomorrow. It sounds bad, but as I watched the heart ultrasound, all I could think about was his MIGHTY heart. He is an amazingly caring man.
On Monday, when I told Mom, still in rehab hospital, about Gary's predicament, she said, "I don't appreciate that, Shannon." I asked her why and she said, "You are trying to make me feel guilty about calling you to come and see me and I don't like it." I took a deep breath and about five seconds to think about my response. "I'm serious, Mom. Gary is in the hospital because he suffered a mild stroke. We are trying to find out what happened and when we do, I'll call you again." After a long pause, she said, "OH, I thought you were telling me a story to make me feel bad about missing you. I'm so sorry about Gary." I told her I loved her and we hung up.
It's really hard being "sandwiched." We want to be there for our parents who are in need of emotional and physical support, but there are other pressing priorities - children, grandchildren, spouses, home, jobs, OURSELVES (always last on the list). This week has been one of the hardest in my life, but I'm still grateful to be living it. I have a great job at Silverado Senior Living that keeps me balanced. I can't wait to get to work in the morning, yet I'm also aware of my obligation as a spouse. And I have my adorable, funny grandchildren and pets. As silly as it may seem, these little treasures bring me back to center when I fall into that scarcity thinking that all is lost. They help me know that everything will be ok.
Thankfully, Gary is choosing to have the painful surgery that will prolong his life so he can spend more time with me, his grandchildren, his son and daughter-in-law, and our precious niece who is like a daughter. We talk about camping and cruises and just living here in our home enjoying life on the front porch. Both of us love our work, so we talk about how what we do makes a positive difference in our lives and in the lives of others. We discuss our church and the unconditional support we feel being part of a spiritual community. We cherish our big circle of friends (including extended family) and we pray for everyone, by name, that their lives are filled with love and goodness. Love-based communication is the foundation of our deeply personal relationship and we know it's our special gift from God.
OK, so all that being said, maybe tomorrow I'll have more of Gary's wit and wisdom to share with you. It will surely help me to get Mom out of the rehab hospital and home again, Jack through his latest hospice adventure, and serve as the simple support for our challenges. Mostly, tonight, I just want to say thank you to our friends. We love you.
On Monday, when I told Mom, still in rehab hospital, about Gary's predicament, she said, "I don't appreciate that, Shannon." I asked her why and she said, "You are trying to make me feel guilty about calling you to come and see me and I don't like it." I took a deep breath and about five seconds to think about my response. "I'm serious, Mom. Gary is in the hospital because he suffered a mild stroke. We are trying to find out what happened and when we do, I'll call you again." After a long pause, she said, "OH, I thought you were telling me a story to make me feel bad about missing you. I'm so sorry about Gary." I told her I loved her and we hung up.
It's really hard being "sandwiched." We want to be there for our parents who are in need of emotional and physical support, but there are other pressing priorities - children, grandchildren, spouses, home, jobs, OURSELVES (always last on the list). This week has been one of the hardest in my life, but I'm still grateful to be living it. I have a great job at Silverado Senior Living that keeps me balanced. I can't wait to get to work in the morning, yet I'm also aware of my obligation as a spouse. And I have my adorable, funny grandchildren and pets. As silly as it may seem, these little treasures bring me back to center when I fall into that scarcity thinking that all is lost. They help me know that everything will be ok.
Thankfully, Gary is choosing to have the painful surgery that will prolong his life so he can spend more time with me, his grandchildren, his son and daughter-in-law, and our precious niece who is like a daughter. We talk about camping and cruises and just living here in our home enjoying life on the front porch. Both of us love our work, so we talk about how what we do makes a positive difference in our lives and in the lives of others. We discuss our church and the unconditional support we feel being part of a spiritual community. We cherish our big circle of friends (including extended family) and we pray for everyone, by name, that their lives are filled with love and goodness. Love-based communication is the foundation of our deeply personal relationship and we know it's our special gift from God.
OK, so all that being said, maybe tomorrow I'll have more of Gary's wit and wisdom to share with you. It will surely help me to get Mom out of the rehab hospital and home again, Jack through his latest hospice adventure, and serve as the simple support for our challenges. Mostly, tonight, I just want to say thank you to our friends. We love you.
posted by Shannon Ingram | 9:01 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home