The Silver Lining

My father's comment at the end of my most recent post (There Are Things Worse Than Cancer) has inspired me to sit still on this melt-like-butter, delicious day and remember. Remember the fact that every single day my mother thanked God for something - my father knowing when her hot water bottle needed refilling or her spirit needed lifting. She thanked God for any one of her bodily functions...and when that bodily function declined then she would thank God for another one. She thanked God for the people who truly showed their love and support every day. She admired the birds who chirped outside her patio door, and her beloved plants that gave her joy. She enjoyed music and memories, laughter and love.
When I was pregnant, she savoured every tidbit of information I learned about her growing grandchild. She relished in the details of my midwife appointments and I will never forget how her eyes grew large and danced at the sound of the baby's heartbeat. She believed in miracles and constantly reminded her children that they existed, and that God shows us miracles every day.
This helped her like no other healing aid. Faith. Chehle dam sudhi. (Till the last breath). Her strength helped her, but it also benefitted those of us watching at ring-side. She battled with faith, love and courage in her heart. In doing so, she pushed past 2 cancers and a disease that had the doctors' hands up in the air. She got through each day to see her granddaughter arrive in this world, then she kept going till she could hear the beautiful name Nani from her lips. She held on again to physically experience a visit from the Aga Khan in November 2008. She did it all with grace and dignity and never took a second of it for granted. And 2 weeks before she died, she told my father, "I have nothing to complain about. There are people in this world who are worse off than I am." As she settled in to her room in Palliative care, she reminded us again that God is always with us.
If I didn't mention this, if I had allowed scleroderma to gain control of my mother's memory, then I would be allowing it to do what she never did - take her spirit.
Thank you to both my parents, for reminding me of the silver lining.
Thanks for reading...