What she carries.

I took Drew to Nashville this weekend to move Sara down there.  I talked to both mom and dad the whole time I was gone.  Mom told me on Saturday when I called that cousin Nancy died.  I was sad.  But the first thing that came to my mind was my dad.  It was his niece.  This would be one of several deaths this year of people in our family.  Young, old, older ... every time I see dad say goodbye to someone in our family, I see him ponder his own mortality.  Just for a minute but it's there.  It's hard to  watch.

Sunday we got home and had a birthday dinner for uncle Andrew, uncle Chris, and Drew.  Dad loves when his family is around him.  This would be a good time to bring up mom and my gratefulness that she's in my dad's life.  He loves her more than anything in the whole world.  I've known that since I can remember.  I have always known that my mom is my dad's most favorite soul.  After all, she married him at 25 when he was 47 with custody of his 6 kids.  Crazy, right?!?!  That's some love right there.  And now, after being married for 35+ years, their relationship is different.  Mom takes care of dad and tests his blood sugar 3 times/day, makes sure he has his insulin, he eats right, goes to dr appts, remembers dates, communicates with family, knows families' names at funerals, (lol) etc .  She is his rock now.  He was her rock and now she's his.  I see the way he looks at her, sometimes mad haha, but mostly grateful.  He knows what she carries.  I think she's amazing.