Mom

At this moment, mom is washing up the lunch dishes. She threw some leftovers together, added BACON, and served it up. Dee-lish!

My mom is 73, but acts like she's much younger. She came down the day after the crash to help out in the hospital. She went back to Eau Claire to recuperate and get ready to help me post-hospital.

I literally would be lost right now without her. She cooks my meals, washes clothing, shops, even gets the paper in the morning, which I can't reach on the porch.

She survives by taking little trips for fun. The new Sendiks grocery store was a field trip! She's heading to Chicago Saturday to see a friend of hers.

I'm so grateful she's here. Despite all my very stubborn need for independence, I need her. I simply can't do things like carry my oatmeal to the table.

I'm going to have to learn to do all these things, I know. But by next week, when she leaves, I'll be that much stronger and that much more able to move around.

At night we've been watching goofy movies to laugh. We've watched Cars, Best in Show, the Incredibles. We're trying to laugh and keep the mood light.

To tell the truth, although I'm actively encouraging her to get back to her life in Eau Claire, I'm a bit nervous, no, a lot, nervous about her leaving. It's going to be very different here, and I'm going to have to learn to reach out to others for help.

Much of this recovery time has been humbling, like mom cleaning out my urinal bottle. Maybe that's what I'm learning?

Regardless, I'd be lost without my mother. Thanks, mom.