Its Mama….Sometimes, It Is Nice to Be Just a daughter 
Hubby and I traveled West this weekend to “take care of” my mother who had knee replacement surgery three weeks ago and daddy who was at the end of pneumonia and to give a little respite to my brother, Jim, 
who has been Mama’s primary post-surgery caregiver while daddy has kept the home hearth going.
I tell my children “Wherever your Mama is is home” and I mean it…because I know that no matter I didn’t grow up at “131”, it is where my Mama is and therefore, where home is and will be as long as we are blessed with her presence on this earth.
We pull up and plug in the code to their garage and when it doesn’t work, we move to the front of their home, arms ladened with flowers and a book and small tokens of love we bring with us hoping in some small way that our love for Mama and Daddy is poured out on them over the next few days.
I fear at times that my siblings and I take for granted the blessing God has given us to be our ages (62, 59, 53, 49, and 48) and to have our parents not only still with us on this earth, but healthy in body, mind, and spirit. I don’t think we mean to….it seems more an expectation that they will always be with us because we cannot wrap our minds and hearts around any other thought.
My parents, while not perfect, are perfect for us and if they have flaws, it is that they loved us so much and gave us so much that the comfort one gains from never lacking for anything has never touched our hearts.
Walking into their home and seeing their beloved faces excited for the visit and welcoming to our presence is a balm for my soul for which I cannot find words. Their hugs and kisses and laughter carry us mightily through this journey of life.
They embrace us with the warmth of their acceptance and faith that who we are in this moment is all we need to be. We lay down our worries, fears, frustrations, and worldly aches and pains and bask in their presence as beloved children who are well loved and well cared for and it is so good….
We talk about everything under the sun, with Mama catching us up on siblings, cousins, and friends and with 
Dad regaling us with war time memories of Viet Nam and Germany and farming. Most of what is shared is a repeat of what we know but somehow, coming from Mama and Daddy, it is made new.
They talk of raising birth children and loved-in children and their children’s children. Mama teases about wanting a great grandchild and “hanging on until I get one,” Daddy reminds us of the “bull that he cut the horns off of at the farm.” We laugh over which kind of ice cream is the best and hold hands in prayer over every meal no matter how small or large the dish.
We enjoy Jim’s wonderful homemade lasagna and I got to eat his last homemade chocolate chip cookie. We made scratch pot pies and prayed some more. We talked about bowling but after all the great food, could not muster up the energy to actually go.
We changed our décor moving out the Winter prints and bringing in the Spring and when Daddy reminded Mama it is still Winter, she cut him that cute smile and said, “so, we can act like it is Spring and we will all feel better.” And we all laughed at their 65 years of playful banter.
It’s a blessing to sit in the living room of my parents and soak up the love and companionship of all those years of ups and downs and children and grandchildren…of sorrows and blessings. Where praying comes consistently and banter is part of the fabric of their marriage.
Watching my tiny Mama maneuver herself in the shower and out all by herself so quickly post-surgery and seeing Dad ready her bed so that she has clean sheets to rest in that evening. It’s a gift….if one only takes the time to see.
Seeing the love my parents have for one another reminds me that each of us have the opportunity to use our lives to emulate the love of Christ in our lives. I cannot speak for my siblings, but Mama and Daddy inspire me to grow into a deeper, greater self so that my children have this same experience where love conquers all, memories are the glue that binds us and Christ is the center of our lives.
I want what they have…unconditional love for one another no matter what. Encouragement of one another greater than fault finding. Genuine friendship grown from deep roots of a covenant made with God almost 65 years ago which has withstood the times.
I want my children to bask in the unconditional love my parents have for me each time I enter their presence be it in person, via text, or over the phone.
I want to acknowledge what a privilege and honor it is to be the daughter of Shirle and Chet Millstead just because they are the best gift a daughter could ever receive.
Sometimes, it is good to just be their daughter
I love you Mama and Daddy,
As Only Your Oldest Daughter Can,
Lesa Sheryl
