MIND AND BODY CONNECTION

These are some of the lap robes my mother has made.

A few days ago, I wrote about going fabric shopping for my mom. She had asked for some plain colors of flannel and thread to match. She has her own personal ministry making lap robes for nursing home residents and it's something she enjoys doing. I know she's made hundreds of them through the years.

I was fortunate to find flannel on sale, though the thread was not. I haggled with the store clerk about using coupons (see The Rest of the Story if interested) but was finally able to buy thread at a discounted price. I packed up the fabric and thread, added some healthy snacks and a note to the box, and shipped it to Mom on Wednesday. Her town is two hours from mine and I was shocked when she received the package on Thursday.

Mom called me Thursday afternoon and was very upbeat. She's not usually that way. Very often she's depressed and upset that she's experiencing the aches and pains of the aging process. Nothing I ever say or do seems to make her happy for very long. Though I accept the fact we are responsible for our own happiness, I've never stopped trying to make my mother happy. I think she counts on that.

It was so good to hear her saying positive things. That made me glad I had taken the time to find her fabric and ship it to her. She said, "You know, getting this nice box of fabric has really made me feel happy. When my heart is happy, my body doesn't hurt as much". What a revelation, Mom. That's something my sisters and I have tried to impart to her for years. We've suggested she offer her time for volunteer work, call some friends and meet for lunch, or find other ways to make her life a happy one. All of those suggestions seemed to fall on deaf ears - literally.

This time, Mom saw for herself that getting her mind off her problems and contemplating doing something for others makes her heart happier, and in turn, diminishes her aches and pains - another life lesson learned.