Other Moms: Other Children

" A mother holds her children's hands for a while, their hearts forever." Author Unknown

For the last few days I have written joyfully about mothers. I wrote a tribute to my mother and recalled time spent with mothers in my life. It felt good to read other blogs about motherhood and I also enjoyed the comments I received from other mothers, daughters, and sons.

When we started school in the fall I met a new student in my class that was twelve years old named AR. Her mother was dying of breast cancer. Her mother was young, very ill, and only had a short time left. We all moved gingerly through those first weeks of school, not wanting to discuss it much because other friends and relatives of the woman were also in class. When she died the class tried to figure out things to do that would help. Students wrote poems, made cards, and went to the services. AR has been a brave child all year. She always wears her pink ribbon. She just did the Breast Cancer walk in Spokane in memory of her mother. She smiles a bit more now. She sits by me and asked me to tell her stories about my mother and what is was like when she had breast cancer.

Now, again, it is happening. BI is a year older and his mother went in for surgery a week ago. There were complications. She is in a coma. Family and friends are waiting by her bedside to talk to her. BI is shuttled back and forth between the hospital and home. An auntie came in today, her eyes swollen and red as she removed her sunglasses for a moment. " He needs a book to do this assignment", she said. Last week they wanted school work to try to keep life moving the same. How can you ask him to do a reading story and a packet on how to do a speech? Again, many family members and friends are part of our school family. People are hopeful, but cautious. It is hard to know what to do to help.
My prayers today are with AR as she continues to heal and with BI and his family as they circle around his mother's bedside.