Today (Covid-19 day 81 give or take), I tore a kleenex in half to blow my nose. I looked at that and I started to laugh! I read on Facebook that, before Covid-19, a lady used "to play like a roulette wheel with toilet paper, and now she counts out 5 squares"… I do that too!!!! And then I thought about Mom and wondered if she taught us "how to work with toilet paper"? I guess she did, but I don’t remember, and no one has told me any stories of my potty training…, But I do remember something TOO funny. Mother would sit down and take up the daily Jumble. She had a pile of them in her bathroom. She would take off a wad of toilet paper (how many squares Mom?) and fold them up. (Dear reader, Do you wrap them around your hand?) and then Mom would tuck them into her underpants which were down around her thighs. Then when ready, the toilet paper was ready! Well, guess what? I do that today too. Now comes the too funny part. I drove Mom, my sister Sarah, and cousin Lois to the Keys and we stopped at maybe the key lime shop and went tinkle and bought some key lime juice and maybe a pie…. Back in the car, Sarah burst out laughing, BIG belly laughs. There sat Mom with kleenex tucked in her shorts. OH Mom…. too funny!
Mom, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Your lovely small well-groomed hands and finger nails … In 1999 I had to have belly surgery and I called Mom, like we girls used to do. Mom was at every baby’s birth and several other major events for my sisters, but this was my big first one. So at age 52, I called Mom to "come" and she did! Mom walked into pre op with me and she was there when I was wheeled into my room. She spent the night in my room, and she was there when the doctor came in on the second day to pick out stitches. I guess it was the second day…. Did they put in stitches and pick them out two days later in 1999? Anyhow, there were Mom’s beautiful fingers on my belly, pointing the way to the doctor. A mother’s hands. A medical-surgical nurse’s hands. God’s gift. So, Mom, I might have to have surgery again. Big girl surgery. Maybe a surgeon might hold my heart in his hand. I don’t know the details and even if it will happen or when. I understand the aneurysm I have is behind my heart so I assume there has to be some heart moving and holding. Will you be there Mom? I know you will. Point out to the surgeon every little detail. He will be guided by the best, and by you. Thank God for my gift! Thank you Jesus for keeping my Mom close. God bless us. Angels with us.