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My mom was the second youngest of 13 children. She's led an ordinary life. She and my dad taught me how to love through their marriage (53 years and counting). She instilled a work ethic in me, taught me to always be thankful for what I have, and was always in my corner. I had a great childhood. She was a great cook and each of her four sons has taken up an interest in cooking through her influence. She had a great sense of humor and loved to have fun, just relaxing and talking to friends and family.
My dad and I went looking for nursing homes for my mom a few weeks ago. A couple weeks ago, a bed opened up. She's been admitted to hospice care, but with Alzheimer's it is really difficult to know how much longer she has. It could be months or years. Up to now dad has been amazing in taking care of her, but now it is too much for him. She hasn't been able to recognize me for years and during my week long visit only called dad by his name one time. During the week I was in KC, I was able to help dad take care of her: feed her, rub her back, and help to coax her down stairs, into the car, and onto elevators.
Dad and I talked about how Alzheimer's steals a person little by little. He called it the long good bye.
Here's a picture of my mom I took during my visit. The picture is crappy, but the person is solid gold:
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