Wednesday, October 15, 2008

I Can't Be All Things

By C. LaRene Hall

If you are like me, life just happens. You continue with all the big and little bumps in the road. Then one day, you come to a screeching stop. No! I don’t want to do this.

That is what happened to me last week. For over two month’s my sisters and I have been taking turns giving my mom 24/7 care. It’s not that I don’t want to give the care to my mom. After all, she gave me life. I don’t mind taking all the vitals every day or administering the meds. Preparing meals and seeing to her daily needs are easy.

Last week sitting in a meeting where medical professions were explaining some additional things she may need in the near future, I suddenly said, “No. I don’t want to do that. I’m not a nurse and I never wanted to be one.”

Since then, I’ve realized I’m a daughter and that’s all I want to be to her. I can make her comfortable and lovingly care for her. I can go without sleep to see to her needs. However, we need to leave some things to professionals.

Besides a daughter I’m a wife, mother, grandmother, friend, but I’m not a nurse. Professionally I’m a secretary, accountant and a writer. I can do many other things, but I can’t be all things.

2 comments:

ali cross said...

I love that Connie, and I totally agree. I'm sorry for what you and your sisters are going through with your mom. I've BTDT with my own mom, my MIL and now with my FIL. I've wished I had the courage to say "I can't be all things" and now with FIL, I may in fact need to borrow your strength.

Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen said...

I'm glad you've found your way through the emotional maze. I haven't yet had to face it, but I've often wondered what I'd do.