For those of you that know me well, you know how sick my mum has been and you probably know how upset I’ve been that I can’t see her right now having JUST started a new job and being in a tight financial position due to a month of funemployment.
So I’ve been worried about my mum A LOT but I’ve also worried about my little brother who is 2.5 years younger than me and still living with my mum and her wonderful husband. My brother is a rad kid, he’s been through a lot and we used to be pretty vicious to each other; one time when he refused to help me clean up I convinced him that the SOS pad I rubbed on his arm was corrosive and that if he rubbed peanut butter on his arm and left it there the oils would sink in and counter-act the corrosive chemicals. He did it. I got in trouble when my mum got home. We didn’t have a great relationship when we were younger but today? I am so incredibly proud of him for kicking ass at Carlton, for growing into a great person and lately for being the best son my mother could have ever asked for.
So it kills me that my brother, who I remember as a dorky teen most of the time, is hurting so badly. He’s sitting with my mum at the hospital, he’s reading to her and all of this while trying to take summer classes.
And it breaks my heart that my mum’s husband of a year, is dealing with this, they love each other in a way that is beautiful and magical and he is the husband she deserves. He is a hero to me, for taking such good care of her and for loving her in ways that you normally only read about. I wish she’d met him earlier so that I could call him my step father without feeling strange about it; I’ve done most of my growing up at this point and I don’t really need a Dad but he’s definitely the closest thing I have.
So today, after hearing that my mum needs another round of tests, I noticed a photo on my brother’s Facebook wall of a cooler. The cooler had a note attached to it that said, “This is a magic cooler! If you leave it on the porch, food will magically appear for the care-givers, so that they can keep their strength up and use their time on giving care instead of cooking and shopping. If you need anything, just leave a note.”
So I write this a little teary eyed because my faith in humanity is restored and I know that there are people caring not just for my mum but for the people who love her.
Thank you to people who put this together, who care about my family as much as I do, I may not know you but I love you. Thank you.
My Shananigans 