Hidden Blessings

Just the other day, I overheard my daughter Katy describe the 12 years that my mother lived in the in-law apartment attached to our house as “three generations of women living together.” I had never thought of it that way before!

Katy and her younger brother were Mom’s only grandchildren, and she was a constant beloved presence in their lives. When the children were young, Mom’s apartment door was always open for their spontaneous visits. She kept her fridge covered with their artwork and photos, and her freezer filled with mint chocolate-chip ice cream—Katy’s favorite. As the kids grew older, my mom became their elder, trusted confidante. As a safe, nonjudgmental “parental option,” she was always willing to listen, and not shy about dispensing her opinions, advice, and hard-earned wisdom.

The way Katy saw it, she and her brother had been given the gift of witnessing first-hand a woman who navigated the rough waters of aging—including blindness and congestive heart failure—with extraordinary grace, courage and optimism. In this intergenerational sense, it turns out my mother was an inspiring role model not only for me, but for her grandchildren, too.