neglect

I know it has been ages since I have added to my blog. Truth is I have just not had much to say that would be positive , uplifting or worth sharing.
You see several months ago my Mom suffered a stroke. It has been a challenge to deal with her and all the daily things that have to be done here.
Just into day three of lambing I checked on my Mom as I do every morning. Maybe a little later than normal because of checking on ewes and caring for mothers with lambs. When I went in her home she said that she was fine when she woke but something happened while she was having breakfast and reading the paper. She was unable to figure out how to use the phone to call me. So I quickly got her in the car and off to the hospital. She had had a stroke. It was located in the right frontal lobe about 3 cm x 7 cm. She was lucky in that she had no real debilitating after effect but it caused her to have no real short term memory as well as some optic nerve damage. When we brought her home she had no recall of her own home. She went from a completely independent 91 year old to someone needing care. This in it's self did not sit well with her as well as her being unable to have recall of simple task such as turning on / off a water faucet, using the phone , using a microwave, opening the refrigerator door, remembering where anything such as clothing, hair brush, dishes were located .
So I helped as best I could. She got better, but she was not happy that she did not wake up each morning and be as she was. Then on Mothers Day she had a severe attack of vertigo . Again off to the hospital . My Mom was getting pretty down about what was happening to her. I sure could not blame her. Also it seemed her hearing had really taken a nose dive after the stroke so communication was getting difficult.
Fast forward and she has been slowly making headway in her recovery. We finally got her hearing aids. She was balking on getting them since the Fall  but she finally realized she needed them.

This has been a challenge for me.
I knew when my parents moved here with us almost 6 years ago that this would be what I signed on for. My Dad died suddenly late summer last year and I know my Mom has been struggling in her own way with his passing.
 But now, my day is filled with taking her to doctor appointments, Physical Therapy sessions, hairdresser, food shopping.....I need to be more attentive and check in on her more than before her stroke. Many times throughout the day. She is doing much better .

Training dogs , sheepdog trials. HA! Well I have made it to a few, but have not had any time to really train dogs other than just trying to keep them correct in the sheep chores. Not the same type of schooling though to keep them crisp enough for trials.

It is the way things go. When you are an only child or are the only sibling close enough to your parents you take it on. You just do it. It is you duty. Your parents did it for you when you needed it. You owe it to them. Some children do not feel this commitment to their parents and I can't understand it.
There sure are days I am frustrated, overwhelmed, depressed . But there will be a day where all I will have left is my memories , photographs of them . At the very least I will have peace of mind that I was there for them when they needed me the most and that they will leave me knowing how deeply I loved them.