..... take my mother to a coffee morning.

It is a sad fact of life that as your children grow older and with growing independence forge their own way in life, your parents go into decline.  Many of my generation chose to start families later and in my case, whilst still having two relatively young children to care for I have the added sadness and burden of caring for my parents, in particular my mother.  To be fair most of it falls on my brother and his wife due to their close proximity but part of the reason for buying our holiday home in Wales was to enable me to share the load. The added joy of being a teacher again means I can renew my career and still spend many weeks here in the village where I grew up and where my parents still reside.

My mother was a big church woman, attended services religiously (excuse the pun), however due to her lack of mobility she now only attends when I am here to take her.  Most of her days are spent sat in her red chair watching the many quiz shows that make up day time viewing.  My father, although still fairly mobile and leading an active life in the community with his volunteering, struggles to take mother out as his emphysema worsens.

Therefore she was terribly excited to be told in church last Sunday that they would be holding a coffee morning today and so once this is posted I will drive up to their place, shower her, dress her and push her wheel chair down to the village Yacht club to enjoy a cup of coffee there. Just as 17 years ago I washed, dressed and pushed my eldest children to that very same venue for toddlers sessions.

How life does change.

   

                    Mother and father enjoying a cup of tea and a pimms on our balcony.