Another Christmas has come and gone. Ours did not go as we had planned, but the circumstances that caused the changes happened to be part of what life throws at us sometimes. We may think we have everything under control and all will go as planned. The dreaded “GI” virus hit the Laynes/Hardins leaving those of us who had it so sick and weak. Even with the virus symptoms, I had many things I had to do to prepare for our trip up North and to help Mom with her Christmas. So, I tried to push the queasiness and icky feeling to the back and pretend I was not going to catch the virus. We also were dealing with Mom and her blood pressure. I took her to Now Care on a Tuesday; called the doctor on Thursday; and Mike took her to the ER on Saturday (with a wait lasting from 8:30 PM to 5:00 AM)! Then I took her to the doctor on Tuesday before Christmas, with the doctor trying to tweak her BP from going as high as 257/78 as it was when she was in the ER.
After the visit to the doctor’s office, we had Mom on her new meds, which we pray will help her BP. I stayed with her and then Mike was with her that night. Then it hit . . . not only did it hit Mom, but me as well . . . . the dreaded virus had made its presence known!! After coming home, I had worked in the kitchen until after 10:00 PM making goodies for Mom’s and for us to take to Bedford. My legs felt weak; my stomach was not feeling the best; and I felt nervous – all which I thought was from worry about Mom. However, around 1:00 AM, I found out what was wrong with me!!!! Let’s just say that the bathroom became my room of choice! Unbeknownst to me, Mom was hit with the virus around midnight. When speaking with her the next morning she sounded so weak. I know I was weak in the knees, and I could only imagine how she felt. This on top of her battle with her BP, she was not feeling the best in the world. She was weak, not hungry, and her color was not the best. She is now feeling better, but her BP still needs to be tweaked!
Bill and I were to leave for David’s the next day. Bill had already packed clothes and all the other “stuff” we were going to take. All we had to do was put them in the car. We didn’t want to miss out on our trip, but at the same time, we did not want to take this “virus” in on Cora and Jeni (who has been so sick due to her pregnancy)! So we decided it would be best to stay home. It really saddened us not to be up there for Christmas. I’m sure there are some who would think we should have gone regardless of the virus or the concern we all had over Mom. We had to make a hard decision that we felt was best for all.
So, for the first time in 22 years of marriage, Bill and I spent Christmas alone at home! Mom and I both were feeling better Christmas Eve, so after she and Dink both asked us to come down for a little while, we got in the car and headed to Mom’s. Food was everywhere. I had taken her some of the “finger” foods earlier in the day, and then Rhonda and Debbie added a variety of other goodies . . . all of which I’m sure was delicious – I just wasn’t food ready! Mom perked up and was feeling better. She had her three surviving children, their spouses, and some of her grandchildren with her. We all made a promise to Dad before he passed away – we all will take care of Mom and make sure she is well taken care of and happy. Christmas Eve she was happy! I was so glad we were there because she and Dink both were so happy. It made our hearts full of joy to see both of them laughing.
Bill and I stayed for a little while and then we headed back home before the snow was to hit . . . yes more snow was on its way. This was one of the main reasons we were not planning on going to Mom’s on Christmas. Mike and Debbie were spending the night and would make it a great day for Mom. We woke up with an additional three to four inches of snow on top of what we already had! This was the first time that I can remember we were by ourselves – David always was with us on Christmas Day when he was still living in Huntington. If for some reason he wasn’t with us, then we would go to Bill’s side of the family or to Mom and Dad’s. It was different, but it was nice.
Mom opening up a warm fleece outfit we took her early Christmas Eve . . .
. . . I love my mother and cherish the time I have with her . . .
. . . Dink surrounded by Billy, Jamie, Debbie, and Bill enjoying all the goodies . . .
. . . Dink is just like Dad, he loves to have the family near him . . . we weren't planning on going back to Mom's, but he sent a plea for us to come . . . it made him so happy . . . .
. . . another Christmas where Mom had her children surrounding her . . . we cherish each and every time this happens . . . even though John and Dad are absent from the picture, they were there in spirit!
Another Christmas is now a memory. A memory that will live with us all for years to come. Sadly, we never know who we will be missing the next time we gather together for the holidays. As we get older, this seems to bear on our minds a little more than they did when we were in our 20's and 30's. Love your family near and far every day of the year.
