Against the Wind
April 6, 2026
I am thinking about my mother today. It is her 89th birthday. She is celebrating this year in heaven with Dad and my sister, Ruth. I have been thinking about the woman she became after Dad died two years ago. This picture of a babushka mouse pressing into the wind is a good reflection of that journey.
She and Dad were married for 67 years. They did everything together. They were a team in the truest sense of the word. What Mom could not do, Dad did for her. What Dad could not do, Mom did for him. Adjusting to life without him was challenging. Just the little things, like reaching something on a high shelf (she was short) or opening a jar lid (arthritic hands) or driving to town (failing eyesight) became major tasks that had to be carefully planned. To be able to stay in her home as long as she could, she knew she had to soldier on.
Just days after Dad died, she asked me, “What am I going to do?” She knew staying on the farm where she had lived for 60+ years was not going to be feasible for very much longer. I encouraged her to look at this next phase of her life as an opportunity, rather than a burden to endure. She had the opportunity (for the first time in her life) to do things the way she wanted without having to manage around the expectations or preferences of her father or her husband. I know she thought about that long and hard.
Then, she rose to the occasion, taking control of the things she could control. She arranged transportation to her doctor’s appointments, had things on high shelves moved to lower shelves, and managed things related to Dad’s estate and property. She even figured out the jar thing! When none of the fancy lid openers worked for her arthritic hands, she asked the person loading her groceries into her car to open her jars – even before she took them home! She faced her health challenges in a brave and practical way. She carried on, going to exercise class, attending church, planting flowers, and baking bread for neighbors and friends.
My husband often drove her to appointments, and they had good long talks. He said she became one of the bravest old ladies he knew. And yes, I guess he was right. She got up every morning, took care of herself, and did what she could do. With the help of neighbors, family, and friends, she carried on despite loneliness and physical challenges. She is not the first widow to have to do this, and she won’t be the last. But to me, she was a strong witness on moving forward against the winds of circumstances. Thank you, Mom, and Happy Birthday!