When I was little and my mom would come and check on my sister and I before she’d go off to bed herself, I would often poke my little, curly head up and say, “I can’t sleep, Mom.”
Say your prayers, Kath, she’d say.
It was my mom’s answer to E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.
At dinner we’d say regular grace and then another prayer which was my dad’s favorite. Sheesh, people, can we just eat already?
My whole life it was the standard answer to everything that was wrong.
Say your prayers.
My mom has been sick lately. No appetite, lethargic, coughing a lot. After two rounds of antibiotics she wasn’t any better and so the doctor ordered an abdominal and lung scan because she believed it was cancer.
Her six kids and their spouses were knocked to their knees. Yes, my mom is older but she doesn’t act old. She walks twice a day. She’s funny. She’s energetic. She needs to stay with us.
That was on a Friday and yesterday we found out she is okay………….maybe a nasty virus that needs to run its course, but no cancer and no pneumonia.
Today is my birthday.
Mom isn’t going anywhere for the time being.
Hail Mary full of grace.