LO and I are back in Baltimore right now. My mother--the originator of my inner voice that tells me to act like a mensch--is very ill. Just after our last trip east, she came down with acute pneumonia and had to go into the hospital. She has been in a chemically-induced coma for nearly two weeks, and it looks as though she will have a long and slow recovery ahead of her. Thankfully, we received some wonderful news today. After she made it through a minor procedure with flying colors, it became clear that the doctors can start weaning Mom off the sedatives so that she will be awake and aware again within the next several days. I look forward to hearing her voice again.
One of my mother's talents is stamping out crises without breaking a sweat. She's got a big one on her hands right now, and I hope she'll be proud of how her family has pulled together to do the work she usually does.
Sometime in the next couple of days, be a mensch and tell your family just how much they mean to you. And if you need another way to show you care? Take a moment to write down instructions or create an action plan for dealing with your finances should anything happen to you. Having a concrete plan for dealing with your insurance, bills, and passwords is a small task for you, but it will make a big difference to your family in a time of stress. It's a mensch-like way to show your family how much you love them.
LO and I will be back to Indiana and the mensch blog will be back to its usual shenanigans on Tuesday. Until then, I'll be thinking healing thoughts for my mother while trying to handle this particular crisis with just a fraction of her natural grace.
