Jan 30, 2008

Timeless Treasures


Some things age in one world, but never age in another. Some people grow older with each and every birthday, but others somehow keep their inner spark and stay vibrant within.

My dear MIL turned 92 yesterday. I spent the day planning and wrapping an abundance of birthday gifts and the evening showering her with them.

There are those who feel as we age, that we need less...but in reality we truly need more. We need more love, more affection, more attention and yes, even more gifts.

The inner spirit, our spark, our true nature, is timeless even though our physical dimension does show the wear and tear of this lifetime. My mother-in-law has outlived both of the two men she dearly loved and now lives alone.

In May, she fell and fractured her pelvis and one hip joint is more than half-way eroded away by osteo-arthritis. She walks with difficulty and with a great deal of pain...haltingly using a walker.

But while her gait is impaired, her memory is not. While her losses are many, she can still see all that she still has and see it sharply and well.

She is fiercely proud and fights to maintain every single moment of her treasured independence. She spent three weeks hospitalized and in a nursing home with the pelvic fracture and never wants to go back again. So we fight the good fight with her. We help as we can, we give as we can, we cheer as we can, and we treasure all that we can.

Like this quilt she made for me 35 years ago, she is timeless. Like all that we love and treasure, we keep them close to us, we enjoy them and we never forget what a priceless gift they truly are to us.

shown:
1. Dorothy, age 92, sombrero'ed and serenaded at Ixtapa after birthday burritos, beans and rice but before the cake and ice cream
2. Dorothy's quilt gifted to me 35 years ago and one of the 5 I love to sleep under
Both are timeless treasures...

3 comments:

Paula, the quilter said...

And that is what it takes: the giving of love and time and gifts. I just mailed off a big 13 pound box of stuff (mainly snack food) for my 92 year old Auntie. It was reminiscent of sending care packages to the college kid.

atet said...

A very happy birthday to your mother in law! Sounds like she has a lot of spirit and shares it generously!

MARCIE said...

Very sweet Michele!