Mother's Day

Kevin was feeling a bit better today—even felt up to starting a puzzle with me. For every one of my pieces, he found 10—not too much brain fog today!

The last of the chemo will be completed by 1 AM tonight. Then they still have to do 24 hours of hourly vital signs and bathroom treks before Kevin can finally get some uninterrupted rest by Tuesday. What a welcome retreat that will be!

This has been a wonderful Mother’s Day! We met Ryan, Jen, Mira, and 2 of their friends for a great brunch at the Down Towner. Their friend, Jon, provided his usual keyboard magic with a vast medley of relaxing piano tunes—the perfect combination of good food, good entertainment, and good company. Even though this is the day to honor mothers, I want to take this opportunity to honor my son, Ryan. He has often been overshadowed in the past years as focus was centered on Adam or Kevin. But as the oldest son, Ryan has shouldered more than his share of burdens and responsibilities. He was only 12 when I moved back to MN to start life over with the 3 boys. Kevin was a toddler. I would never have been able to complete my nursing degree without Ryan’s help—he supervised his 2 brothers, cooked meals, and tutored me in college Algebra. As I watched him mentoring Kevin with patience and tenderness unusual in one so young, I knew he would one day be a wonderful father. In our lean years while I was completing my degree, he did without many things, but he rarely complained. His scholastic, artistic, and musical accomplishments were often overlooked due to my busy schedule. I didn’t fully realize how gifted and special he was until years later. His road through college and into adulthood has been bumpy at times, but he has emerged as a sensitive, caring, family-oriented young man that I am very proud to call my son!