After nearly five years, I have finally come to a time of comfort knowing that my paranoid schizophrenic mother married a paranoid schizophrenic man. (It was real hard to accept at first)
Mom and Will have been together for about five years, and will be celebrating their 2nd wedding anniversary this Sunday, March 5th. I am very happy that they have one another.
It has been a struggle (like my Mom hasn't endured enough struggle in her life) but they have come a long way in the last few years.
I'll never forget the day Mom called me and said "guess what I did today...I got married!!" I had to sit down before I fell down. Not only did this mean that they wouldn't get as much from social security to support themselves and I would be more accountable for helping them financially, but it also meant that I now had a schizophrenic step-dad who I wasn't sure could take care of himself let alone my mother. I thought for sure this would be the beginning of me having another child...for years, the roles have been reversed with Mom and me.
What a great surprise it has been to see the two of them grow in their relationship. After all the trips and long term stays in the hospital for both of them, after all the fights and changes in meds (which makes them harder to deal with than normal), they are still holding strong.
It's amazing to see someone like my mom functioning fairly normally in society. Who would've ever thought a woman who spent over 17 consecutive years in a mental institution could lead a normal life now. Of course, it's not exactly normal by most people's standards, but for two mental patients, it's beyond normal.
I thought when Dad died seven years ago that it would be the beginning of the end for my mom. I am so proud to say that she proved me wrong!! I love my mother with all my heart, and I feel so fortunate to have been able to rekindle a somewhat normal relationship with her. We have had a lot of oppourtunity to catch up on times that were lost while she was in the hospital during my childhood. I am so thankful for that.
So, this Sunday brings a day of celebration. A day for Mom and Will to be thankful for one another. And a day that I can also be thankful for the remarkable steps my mom has taken to better her life....
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM!!!!!!!
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5 comments:
Allison, Your mom is such a sweet woman.
Even in tough times, the gentle spirit she has and her sweet nature would shine through.
I remember her at our house - not in very good shape - I was sick and she came in, sat on my bed, patted my back and talked to me. At the time, she was having a hard taking care of herself but still had such a gentle, sweet nature she wanted to come sit with me and comfort me. I love you Aunt Helga!!
Congratulations on your anniversary!!
Wow that's really great! I remember when she got married, that was a shock. I'm so glad to hear that Aunt Helga's doing so well, and that she has someone to spend her life with.
Happy Anniversary!
Us too, we are glad to hear that Helga's doing well, and that she has Will with her.
Happy Anniversary!!!
Thanks for all the anniversary wishes for my mom...I'm going to bring her to work so she can read the blog and all her well wishes!!!
We love you guys!!!
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