Posted by I sat down in a chair by Mom and started with greetings and small talk. Then Mom suddenly said, “No one cares.”
“Why do you think no one cares, Mom?”
She looked up at me, seeming surprised that I would ask. And then she said, “No one touches or talks.”
I hope it was just a momentary feeling of neglect that she had. Because I always try to take time to talk with her and hold her hand and give her hugs. And I know Dad does, too.
But my heart hurt that she would feel unloved for even a minute. And I wonder now how many people feel that way for days at a time. Or sadly, even longer.
And I think Mom’s explanation for feeling that no one cares, was poignant and full of simple wisdom. When no one touches us or talks to us it’s easy to feel that no one cares.
On the other hand, that doesn’t sound so hard to fix either. It’s not hard to pick up a phone and call someone who might be lonely. It’s not hard to offer a hug or a hand to hold either. We just need to be thoughtful and do it.
So, I told Mom I did care and that I loved her so much. And then I gave Mom her bath and ate lunch with her. Afterwards I sat by her on the love seat. We sang songs and laughed. We looked at family photos.
We played with her baby doll. We remembered people’s names together. I held her soft hand as much as I could. And she kept licking her finger and trying to rub freckles off my arm.
Oh sweet mama, I know your memories are fading away. But I pray you will never, ever forget how much we love you and care about you.
And I myself need to remember, at times when God feels distant and I doubt His care, that He is always loving me and providing for me and protecting me in ways I don’t even realize. And He loved us all so much He sent Jesus so our sins could be pardoned and we could have a relationship with Him forever.
And I pray that we all may”…have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully.” (Ephesians 3:18-19, NLT)
God's Grace and Life's Challenges 