One very special lady

My Mamaw (my mom's mom) has had a very rough few weeks. After a week of being more tired than usual and saying that she didn't feel like she was getting enough oxygen (she has asthma), she had two "fainting spells" this week. As I write this, I am sitting in the hospital watching over her. The doctor thinks that maybe she had a stroke since her mental capacity is diminished and she is tending to favor her right side. Further tests tomorrow will hopefully confirm or deny that diagnosis and give us a treatment plan. I sure love this lady and I am praying that this isn't a major hurdle for her.

Mamaw is 89 years young and a very independent lady. She lives in a retirement community near us and I am her primary care-giver. I am a part of those "sandwich" people who are raising kids and caring for parents/grandparents at the same time. We have been blessed that Mamaw's health has been very stable. She is in the "independent living" section of her community and doesn't need consistent help. We get her out of the retirement home on a pretty regular basis and it's great to see the kids love on her and see her love on them. It makes me very thankful that they will remember their Mamaw and how much she loves them even when they are grown and Mamaw is gone.

Her health challenges have mounted lately. She has made it successfully through a broken hip and a broken arm over the past few years and has suffered from these "fainting spells" since before those incidents. Mamaw has a wonderful spirit, is very active in caring for her health, and is truly a positive personality. The night that she broken her hip, she asked the doctor when he could fix her because "I'm tired of just sittin' in this bed" (after only 15 hours!). The physical therapist's loved working with her and several times they had to remind her to stop exercising so much or her muscles would be too sore. At her age, sometimes a broken hip can be the beginning of the end but she has really done quite well recovering. In the last year, she is often seen walking the halls of their retirement home after breakfast for exercise and that really keeps her going strong.

My wife and I are preparing to lead a Bible study on stress in marriage. Part of that study is a reminder that sometimes good things can also come from stress. One good thing that is a result of my current stress is that I have realized again how much I am thankful and grateful for my grandmother! It's so easy for me to take advantage of still having her around to love on me and my family! I take her for granted just like I take many wonderful things for granted (the ability to worship openly, the ability to live each day without fear of voilence to me or my family, the ability to take a hot shower, etc.). I am thankful that:

• she loves to read to my kids.
• she loves to spend time with us (even when all three kiddos are going bonkers and other people would run away).
• she can still tell me stories about when she was a little girl and about me when I was a boy (even though I may hear the same story over and over).
• she covers our family in prayer.
• she encourages our parenting on a regular basis and tells us how well we're doing.
• she sees qualities in our kids that we sometimes miss.
• she is always there with a good hug.
• she has a sweet smile and is such a welcoming person to everyone.
• she is genuinely happy to see us whenever we walk into her room (even if its unannounced and we're interupting her favorite tv show).
• she knows what is important and encourages me to focus on the important not the trivial.
• she helped to raise me to be the man/husband/father/believer that I am today.
• she hasn't stopped raising me.
• she inspired the name for my son Cooper (her maiden name) because of her tremendous impact on me.
• she continues to be an awesome blessing to me, my family, and many others.
• she can make me cry just by typing out this list.
• I can still type without having to see through the tears because my mom made me take a typing class in high school (that I refused to take until I realized how many girls were in the class).

Hopefully tomorrow we will have some answers. I want to learn if this a stroke or not and if they can find anything really wrong with her this time. We have been in the hospital before after these "fainting spells" but nothing has ever been found to definitively be the cause. She has never exhibited these qualities that are symptomatic of a stoke though so we'll just have to wait and see.