I cannot imagine what anyone reading this must be thinking of with such a title greeting them! Surely, as everyone close to their mother must apprehend, There is more than a glimmer in any relationship with a beloved parent. So it is with my mother, who is everything a mother ought to be.

Now mom is well aged to say the least, as she will turn 97 this year, and age and infirmity have robbed her of much of her mobility, her understanding, and even her quality of life. Sadly, mom is suffering under the effects of dementia, and as any who has a loved one in a similar situation can attest, she is a shadow of the bright and observant mother I always knew. Whether soothing hurts when I was young, or always calling out to me when I returned home, no matter what time as a teenager, mom was always involved in my life, and I’m certain my siblings would say the same.

As mom has deteriorated before our eyes, we have had to make some hard choices concerning her care. Mom recently suffered a fall, and while she escaped with no serious injury, it has landed her in the hospital while she recovers. It has become clear that she can no longer stay in the seniors lodge in which she was living, and will now be moving to a long term care facility. That this is now in the works and she will be moving this week is definitely a glimmer of gold in the situation, as is her location, which is closer than the hospital in which she has been staying. Knowing how to care for her and what to do to help her has been difficult, but I’m happy she is going to a good place.

I know it’s a little early for mother’s day. But I wanted to offer a tribute to the woman who raised me. At this time of year, I hope we all remember the wonderful women in our lives, be they our mothers, sisters, daughters, spouses, or whatever other mothers we know. To my mother, I pray that her last years will be spent in peace and happiness, and that when she moves on to her eternal reward, that she will experience that blessed peace in our Savior. I know my father is waiting for her to join him with impatience.