For All You Do

Mama has been sick all week with the stomach flu.  She is staying with my husband and I.

I can’t tell you how many times she has expressed her appreciation of all we are doing or have done for her.  She is always upset because we are bringing her drinks, or dry toast, yogurt or pedialyte, or making trips to town for things we don’t have but her doctor has recommended.  She keeps saying she doesn’t know what she would do without us, or if she could ever pay us back for all we do.

I’ll read this to Mama tomorrow, now that she is feeling a little better.  This is something I need her to know.

I remember when we were sick and you would get up in the middle of the night to bathe us, change our beds, give us medicine, and hold us till we could go back to sleep.

I remember you getting up the next morning and going to work, taking care of the rest of us and dad, and never complaining.

What we do for you now Mama isn’t out of a sense of obligation.  Neither is it a chore or a job.

Everything we do is a thank you for all you did for us and never a complaint, even though sometimes you were feeling as badly as we were.

Everything we do is a way of giving back for all you did.  It’s the little things that we do, not because we have to, but we want to.

This is all out of love and admiration.  You are never a burden or a chore.  You are just loved.