{Moms Who Inspire} The Hardest Working Love

0

When asked to write about a mom who inspires me, I knew right away who I would write about. While my own mom is awesome and inspiring, I know she will forgive me if I write about my friend, Elizabeth. I met her at my church, where we both had kids the same age. We soon found ourselves sharing stories and encouragement. Elizabeth’s fight to help her kids with their struggles is heartbreaking to witness her go through, yet it is a testimony to how much a mother’s love can fuel her to keep fighting.

For some of us, the path of motherhood is somehow paved and lighted, but for others it’s fraught with snares, wild beasts, and treacherous terrain. Elizabeth’s has been in the latter category, but thankfully she’s the kind of woman who has plenty of gumption to tackle any parenting obstacle for the sake of her kids. She’s got two of them on this side of heaven: eight-year-old Cole, tall like his dad and as sweet as Hood strawberries, and Holli, who turns five this summer and is a giggly little sprite of a girl. Both of them have blond hair, blue eyes, and a rough beginning.

Moms Who Inspire Elizabeth
From left to right: Holli, Elizabeth, Cole, and David

When Cole was ten months old, he learned to walk and climb up the stairs in the same day. It was a sign: the more he grew, the more he moved. I remember him years ago, just running up and down the hall; “boy energy” is what I probably called it. Lo and behold, he was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten. When he was seven he somehow managed to break his arm. (Boy energy!)

Elizabeth also remembers thinking something wasn’t quite right about his not being able to handle over-stimulation when he was out of his comfort zone, and a family member recommended getting him tested for high-functioning autism. (“What?” I remember saying to her, “I would have never suspected!”) After having to jump through hoop after hoop (after hoop), he was tested and formally diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s currently undergoing some pretty intense in-home therapy, which is already beginning to show fruit.

Holli, younger by three years, also got off to a rocky start. Starting around her first birthday, she suffered urinary tract infection after infection, often ending up in the emergency room with high fevers that wouldn’t come down. In the middle of a road trip, Holli became seriously ill and ended up being hospitalized with a kidney infection for four days. After returning to Oregon, she was again admitted for a kidney infection. The infections coupled with some test results led them to to the decision to have Holli undergo an operation. Thankfully it was a success, and she hasn’t had any UTIs since. Holli also has problems with extreme far-sightedness and amblyopia, requiring glasses and, at times, a patch over one eye. She’s also been having tremors in her hands, for which she’s waiting on testing. AND (I can’t make this up, people) there was a household accident last year that partially amputated the tip of one of her fingers. (Thankfully it was able to be reattached.) To say she’s familiar with the hospital is an understatement.

Elizabeth has been there to hold her children’s hands and wipe away their tears and guide them though all of it. Although at times she’s felt torn between being home to care for her kids and needing to earn a paycheck, she’s kept going. (Her husband is unable to work because of epilepsy, so she works full time at Intel.) She’s ensured her kids get the care they need, scheduling appointments with different specialists and advocating for getting an Individual Education Plan (IEP) set up through the school system for her oldest. She’s also had additional heartbreaks and personal trials over the last year on top of everything that’s gone on with her kids; nevertheless, she clings to her faith and her love for her family.

When talking to Elizabeth about writing this post, she said she wanted to be clear to me that she loved her kids. Of course I knew she loved her kids; it’s exactly why I wanted to write this. The fact that she felt the need to say it again, after all they’ve been through? That’s the icing on the cake to me. She loves her kids, bottom line. Through all the doctor’s visits, prayers, long work shifts, and grief, her heartsong has always been a mother’s love. She demonstrates that there is no harder working love than that of a mom for her kids. As her friend, I’m honored to be able to be a witness to it, and it is truly inspiring.

It seems to me like Mother’s Day was created to honor awesome mothers like her. So here’s to you, Elizabeth. I hope you have a wonderful Mother’s Day, and thanks for being an inspiration to us!