Last week my dear 80 year old mother fell in the condo in Arlington and broke her ankle (thank God, she had no other major injuries, but any broken bone is especially difficult for someone at her time of life). Prior to the accident, Mom had continued to live in Arlington on her own. She wanted to stay there as long as she had enough mobility to get around the apartment, and she got frequent help from us for more difficult tasks. Her mind has been (and remains) strong and active.
Now, after orthopedic surgery, she will spend some time in a rehabilitation center. After that, Mom will move out to be near us in the Shenandoah Valley. We are looking forward to having her with us. The goal is (eventually) to get a house with a small apartment attached, so that Mom can still have her own space and her own pace of life, but be near enough to get as much help as she needs.
Ultimately, this event might lead to some good things. I'll be very happy to have Mom around. Right now, she has to go through the process of healing and rehab with whatever challenges they bring. After that the challenges are mostly logistical: we eventually have to sell the condo, sell our own house (where we have lived for 18 years) and move her and us into a new place.
Right now it all looks rather daunting to me, because my health has been unpredictable and, of course, it has been such a year of changes (sorrowful ones, and joyful ones too). But there is a constructive path before us, it's steps are well known, and many of our friends have taken it.
God will give us the grace to persevere on this path, one step at a time.
