A little time home

A couple months ago, I got word that my mom was diagnosed with dementia and was declining quickly. My dad reached out to us and suggested we come soon for a visit. Heeding the call, a few weeks ago I booked tickets and my son, his wife, and the rest of the family made the journey to Pennsylvania. While there, we took in the requisite foods (cheesesteaks, Sicilian pizza, hoagies and treats from Wawa, Yum Yum donuts, and ice cream at Friendly's) and scheduled family pictures. My youngest son was ordained an elder at the hands of his grandfather and assisted by numerous family members. Something my mom always does is to make sure people include their name on items that are part of their will. While this may seem morbid and worldly, it gave my kids the opportunity to talk to her about some of her possessions and find out why they were important to her and the family. As we were looking through a cedar chest at a Mongolian hat, I came upon this colorized photo of her. My mom struggled with horrible acne as a teenager and never felt pretty. This picture was the first time she saw herself as anything but a scarred woman. It reminds me we are not always what we appear; instead we are stronger and more beautiful. While this wasn't how my mom saw herself, this is how I've always seen her. She is my hero, my role model, my inspiration.