My Mother and Family

You know, I rant and rave about having the best support from my friends but I think I sometimes forget to give the ultimate credit to my mother and my family. For it was my poor mother who had to put the fire out and will live with that memory for the rest of her life and my poor father who stayed with me till the paramedics got there so he has to live with the memory of the site of my skin burned off, and my poor brothers, one of which who lives in Portland so was at the hospital morning and night, staying by my side as I lay in a coma, all wrapped up in gauze, breathing and feeding tubes coming out of me. My family was there morning and night, my father often praying out of a prayer book at my side while I was in that coma.

And when I woke up, my brother Jake and his wife were the first people I saw and I could barely talk from the smoke inhalation damage. So they just patiently sat with me giving me smiles though I knew fear resided behind them. Fear that I might never have woken up and fear now of the pain and suffering that lay ahead of me, and of course, the scars that they saw.

But they continued to come back everyday, and took my first steps out of bed with me as I relearned how to walk again. They helped cut up my food and feed me because I could not yet hold a utensil. They were there everyday.

And they continue to be here for me, through all my pain and loneliness. Through all my suffering and hopelessness. Through all my doctor appointments and surgeries. They are my beautitful family and I am so lucky to have them. I must give out a special thanks fo rmy mother for it is she who is my primary caretaker. Everyday she helps me shower, dress my wounds, dress me, get cups and plates out of the cupboard for me, cooks for me. And along with all those responsibilities she has her own self to take care of.

So along with having the best of friends, I have the best of family. Between the two, somehow I keep standing, and keep fighting. So thank you, mother and family and friends, from the bottom of my heart and deep inside my soul for standing by me no matter what. You are the seat cushion on an airplane that acts as a floating raft for me. I know you're there, you're always there, and when I need you all I have to do is hold on tightly and I will stay afloat through the rough waters. I love you.