Ramblings of an Old, Romantic Soul

  Let me say this: I know Mom appreciates all I do for her.  I know my husband appreciates all I do for him and our household.  BUT...the struggle is real to maintain positivity and not have my own pity party.  All day Mom asks about Terry. Did he sleep well, did he get off to work okay? How long will he work and when will he retire?  He works so hard, we should get him a treat.  Terry comes home and 'Terry, you deserve to rest. We haven't done a thing all day'.  Say what???  Yes, the struggle is real not to defend, cry, or just give up.    I begin to wonder what DO I do all day? Perhaps Mom is correct and we do nothing.  How can I be so tired when I just sit all day and listen to her stories or questions. The thing is, it is mentally exhausting. Not to mention the walks, the showers, the breakfasts, lunches, etc. And here I go, defending myself. So I will stop now. I know what I do, and Terry knows what I do. That's all that really...

  . ..comes to me, speaking words of wisdom. We all know the song, do we not?  "Let It Be' by the Beatles.  And now you'll be singing it all day. You're welcome 😅   Part of our daily routine is to go for a walk. Mom has an electric scooter, which allows her to go further and faster, and a wheelchair.  More often than not we take the wheelchair to give Mom the option of walking or riding.  Our walk takes us through the woods, around ponds, and we get to see much of God's beauty and nature.  As we go along, I play music and Mom sings along, or waves her hands in the air like a conductor - we often wonder what people must think as they pass by.  But we don't care. Mom is enjoying herself and having fun.   My last blog mentioned how I sometimes feel guilty about the little deceptions that occur to maintain my sanity.  Two words I now choose NOT to use on our walks - glorious and mother nature.  Why?  When 'glorious' is m...

  And it has nothing to do with lions, tigers, and bears. Mom is not Dorothy, and we are definitely not over the rainbow in Oz, or in Kansas for that matter. 😅 Oh My! is Mom's new catch phrase.  When she sees her morning pills, 'oh my! these are all mine?' Every. Single. Morning. And same for her evening pills, 'oh my! all these?' When she gets her breakfast, lunch, and dinner - no matter how small the serving size, 'oh my! what a feast!'. Every night she has ice cream for a snack. The same portion, the same vanilla ice cream. 'Oh my!  All this?! What a treat!'.  God bless her. 💖  We just smile and answer as if it's the first time we've heard the question.  We are aware how fortunate we are. Mom could react much differently. She could refuse to take her meds, she could refuse to eat, and she could complain that she gets the same old, boring, vanilla ice cream every night (sorry, my love!). But it's all new to her. Every time we go to th...

  Life is full of changes and surprises. Some are good and expected, others shock the hell out of us and rock our world.  December 2019 changed my world.  Let me backtrack a bit to give some history.  In 2008, my husband and I made the move from Maryland to Florida, leaving most of our family behind, including my parents.  Dad's health was not great, but we knew I could travel back and forth when needed.  I did so until his death in January 2011.  Mom's health was pretty good. And living in Florida, there wasn't much I could do except email every morning and call every night. In 2019, I noticed in our evening phone calls she was sometimes forgetful or sounded disoriented so I began to make regular visits.  Terry and I invited Mom to move to Florida and live with us. She accepted. September 2019, Mom suffered two mild strokes followed by a fall in October (fractured hip). The time in hospital and rehab took a toll, both physically and mentally, and...

Sitting here this first day of 2018, and pondering so many things. I have my coffee and Miss M is on my lap. I pulled out my journal and started writing, this was the result. May 2018 hold much happiness and many blessings for all of you.  Resolutions, big or small; perhaps no resolu tions, none at all. What will the year hold in store, tears of sadness, tears of joy? maybe more. Leave the past, embrace the view; contemplate, forgive, forget start anew. New beginnings lie ahead, we hold the key, unlock the door let love spread. Copyright © Kristina M. Hooper, 01/01/2018

I awoke this morning with thoughts running through my head, which isn't unusual - seems my head is constantly full of many thoughts - some deep, some mundane; some I share, some I don't.  Today I will share. Much has happened in our family in the past five years.  And I've realized that since 2009, there has been a constant sadness in my life, a melancholy that has planted itself deep within.  Sure, there have been moments of happiness, days of happiness, but the melancholy always seeps back in; it never seems to quite disappear. Back to my thoughts of this morning.  When someone, or something, we love dies, we feel as though we cannot go on.  We wonder how life will continue.  We believe that life can't possibly continue. And yet it does.  Somehow life goes on.  Babies are born, marriages occur, children move away and start lives of their own.  We get up day after day and go through the motions of every day life. Yes, life does go on....

The other day I heard a story that has touched my heart, and stayed with me.  Two little girls, sisters, were killed in an automobile accident.  Olivia was 6, Emma was 3.  They have a surviving sister, Vivian.  I cannot imagine what the families of these two girls must be feeling, the grief that must consume them.  I do not know them, but they have been in my thoughts, my prayers. Olivia and Emma We did not want to leave so soon, but Jesus called our name; ‘Olivia and Emma, come’, and then the angels came. They gently took us by the hand, they wiped away each tear; They softly raised our bodies up, erasing every fear. God greeted us with open arms, He placed us in His palm; And oh, such beauty filled our souls, His touch, a soothing balm. Though grief assails, remember we have seen His mighty throne; we hear the angels praise and sing, and we are not alone. Kristina M. Hooper @ 3/27/14