Epiphany!

Today is Epiphany, celebrated in the Episcopal, Roman Catholic, and other Christian faiths. Tradition says this 12^th day after Christmas is when the Three Kings, also called the Three Wise Men, visited and claimed infant Jesus to be the Christ child.  This marks the end of the Christmas season.

This day also finds me with my 92 year-old mother as she recuperates from a bad fall that happened while I was in Germany. Since I was already half-way to Florida and school doesn’t start until January 13, Peace Corps permitted me to extend my vacation. My mom fractured 2 vertebrae in her neck and broke her knee cap. These are not life-threatening injuries, but at her age they are life changing.  The goal is for her to return to her apartment in a retirement community, but it will be a long recovery and she will need additional at-home care.

My mom amazes me with her resilience and her independent nature. She wants to return to her two cats, she wants to return to her bridge group, her gin-rummy group, playing Bingo, watching her great grandchildren grow.  This is a set-back, especially after finally recovering from a serious fall in September which resulted in a concussion and stitches, but no broken bones. This year also included the death of her oldest child, my sister, Vickie, back in July.  Such sadness and yet she always recognizes her blessings. She thanks God for the good in her life. She seeks joy.

My mom is not perfect and can drive me crazy. She has always been concerned about my Tom-boy nature and lack of ‘style’. She often wanted to curl my hair, help me with makeup, buy me frilly dresses when I just wanted to put my hair in a pony tail, lipstick was plenty, and nothing frilly for me. You would think after 62 years, she would stop trying, but no. I was meeting a couple old high school friends for dinner the other night. I was leaving mom to go get ready and she said, “Ellen, put some makeup on. Help yourself to mine – you know where it is. Also, why don’t you put on something nice to wear?” I had an epiphany, this is her love language for me.

Happy New Year!

All for now with all my love,

Ellen