Taking Care of the Ones That Took Care of Us

Purelight Parenting

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More Than Survival

By Cindy Nabb I ran into a old school friend of mine the other day in the parking lot after shopping with my daughter. We stood and chatted for a while and inevitably the questions come up; "How many kids do you have now?" And, "Wow, you have six, what are their ages? Oh, so how many are in school, then?" Then she found out that we homeschool. In my experience, this either intrigues p...

Unlocking the Brain

By Cindy Nabb Recently, my husband and I had the luxury of going to this years homeschool conference in our town and, much to my delight, it was an answer to prayer. We have one little guy that has always been what I call a hands-on learner. Traditional methods are hard for him. Sitting down to a workbook is not his cup of tea and would only frustrate him and me. We know he is an ...

“It’s Your Potty, You Can Try If You Want To!”

By Cindy Nabb One thing I detest is potty training. I love having it done but the process...UGH! Until now. I was lamenting to a girlfriend of mine about how I feel about potty training and she said she hated it to but she found this e-book called 3-day potty training by Lora Jensen and how helpful it was. So I immediately jumped aboard. Anything that can get this process over wit...

Taking Care of the Ones That Took Care of Us

Posted By: Cindy on April 19, 2009 in Favorites, Relationships - Comments: No Comments »

By Cindy Nabb

My mother in law recently moved to where we live. She is a widow, her husband, my husband’s father died suddenly almost two years ago. She has been sad as anyone would be after losing the man she spent 40+ years with. I can’t imagine but one day it may be my reality. One day, if we use statistics as a guide, my husband may leave this earth before me leaving me here to take care of myself and wait for my turn to be with our Maker. I am learning how to care for someone who has spent her life taking care of others. She spent her life wiping noses, bottoms, working, worrying, caring for and caring over her children. It is an art to not offend and offer help when none is needed but knowing when there is a need that I can meet. I try to think two steps ahead and anticipate what her needs may be.

The dynamic of the relationship changes as our parents age and we as adult children need to recognize that it is hard for our parents to realize this shift. They have spent their whole lives taking care of us. Then all the sudden, in a moment sometimes, they are the ones in need of care. There needs to be a delicate balance of friendship, authority and caretaker. I am learning that I need to be sensitive, considerate and, above all, patient. God is really growing me through this new relationship. My Mother-in-law and I are now shopping buddies and I am one of the few people she has in her life to talk to on a daily basis. I consider it my responsibility to help her with anything she may need.

My children are watching. They are watching to see how Mom handles this new situation. I want them to watch and I want them to see how family cares for one another. How we treat our elders. Knowing that they are watching keeps me in check. It helps me to remain patient and loving and to do what I say I am going to do.

I love her and consider it an honor to get to help her and spend time with her. I get to glean from her life experiences and my children get to have their grandma be an integral part of their lives.