Pain and Strength

For the last 9 months I have been suffering terribly with a knee injury without much relief.  I experience twinges and outright pain in other joints as a consequence and oftentimes it is agonizing.  I do not handle it all that well when I compare myself to my valiant 80 year old mother.  While I may not be crying or moaning I find myself wondering at the level of pain my mother has been suffering with her rheumatoid arthritis for the past 20 years.  Here is an example of fortitude that is hard to imitate let alone match.  It is seldom, I could almost say never, that I hear Mom even say she is in pain.  She quietly goes about her tasks, her knitting and sometimes I will see her take an aspirin for the pain but never does she say “oiy, oiy, oiy, I have a pain”. 

Yesterday I wrote about character, I wrote about life lessons and how I had learned a lot about living a life within one’s means.  Today I simply want to attest to the fine character of my mother as she tolerates unbelievable pain on a daily basis with a grace and dignity that is truly commendable.  When she quietly asks if I can help her open up a new jar of jam, or wrestle with the milk container I take it from her and chide her “you are getting to be very high maintenance, Mom” and she grins and says “I know”.  Her sense of humour is unimpaired as is her sense of the ridiculous.  We go together down to the Palais Poulet to usher the girls into it for the night and chuckle at their antics.  She admonishes herself as she spills some coffee while carrying it to one or other of her children and says “I’ll never be a waitress” and we tell her that’s what she’s been for the last 60 years when she's catered to a husband and 6 children.

This may not be Mother’s Day but I feel moved to write that I have the most admirable mother in the world and maybe someday I can be like her.