Caregiving

I am interrupting my VBS whine to bring you this post.
You thought I had turned over a new leaf by blogging every day of the week, didn't you? I'm sure I shocked you all. Heck, I shocked me. And I thought I had turned over a new leaf. And then last week, life interrupted me. Funny, that. Life is always doing that to me.
Last Wednesday as I was just finishing some applications off before lunch, I hear the front door open. Everyone was meant to be at work (except for me, of course), so I was a little confused as to who might be letting themselves in. It was my mom, looking a little worse for wear, weakly asking if I could go pick up her car from work. If her car was at work, how did she get home?
"I fell at work, went to the ER (mild concussion) and then my boss brought me home," she said.

I think that was the fastest I've ever gotten ready in my life.

I spent the afternoon taking care of my mom in a way I've never done before. (And I'm sure in a way she would never like to see again. She called me a "mean nurse" when I kept insisting she just stay still and rest. Weird.) Proof of my good-heartedness? I made her sugar cookies. From scratch. On a VERY hot day. True love, baby.
There was no VBS post that night because I stayed home to take care of my mom. And yes, it felt a little weird. But really? It was a nice time. Not nice that she got hurt, but nice because it meant we spent time together where we weren't arguing about jobs, life or anything else. It was time together--just plain and simple time together. And while she was resting, I put in Gilmore Girls for her to watch. We haven't watched that together in ages. I felt...like a daughter again.

And oddly enough, like a parent. Which was weird.

At the end of the night, I was exhausted. But an energetic exhausted. And ya know, it wasn't all that bad.

**Update: Mom is doing very well, one week out. She is still in a bunch of pain from her back, which was an issue even before she fell. Her head is doing fine & she got cleared by the ER doctor last week. Prayers are still appreciated!