I Am No Hero

Time to reveal a fact....I am not a hero. Although some have called me that, I want to assure you that I am not.  I think I may have been tagged this because I became caregiver for my husband, who is suffering from Alzheimer's and my Mother who until her death about 1 1/2 years ago was 91 and in failing health.  I was labeled a hero, a saint, and that I would go straight to heaven etc etc.  Believe me, I appreciate the kind thoughts, but I do believe that all of us, given the opportunity would be heroes and you would think the same way as me.  Not a hero, just doing what needs to be done out of love.  I love my husband (you know the part about 'through sickness and in health?') and I loved my Mother.  Those last few years with her were priceless, I wouldn't trade those days in for anything. Granted there were days that if I heard "what's for dinner" one more time, I would be ready to throw in the towel.  But most days were filled with getting to know my Mother all over again.

But just to show you that I am definitely not a hero, I am going to reveal some dark secrets about myself.  Probably too much information, but this will definitely make you change your mind about me being a hero.  I do disgusting things like "pee" in the shower.  I don't know if any of you have done this, don't have to reveal if you have, but when that water starts streaming, the urge just hits.  And the clean-up is really easy while standing in the shower.  Disgusting, I know....hero? I don't think so.  Another secret, I am constantly picking my ears...they itch and I can't help but give in to the urge to pick, usually with a Q-tip, but if one is not around, I have been known to pick up a bobby-pin to relieve that tickling itch. So disgusting, am I now slipping further and further away from being your hero??  And another one, last one, I promise.  I look in the mirror (magnifying, I might add) and look for a pimple, black-head, clogged pore anything that might need some squeezing.  I know, bad, bad thing to do to your face, but again, another disgusting secret. All of these disgusting secrets (no longer!!) are done behind closed doors and will remain behind closed doors eventho I revealed them to God and all right here in print. I can just imagine what my daughter is saying about right now, that is if she is reading this, Oh Mom, how disgusting, yep.

I bet each and everyone of you have some little secrets that you keep all to yourself.  And I am certainly NOT going to ask you to share them, because they would definitely not be secrets any longer.  But my main intent in this "reveal" was to wash away any thoughts that I could possibly be a hero, what hero pees in the shower, picks their ears and squeezes whatever on their face and then has the "gall" to put it all on a blog??

These are the heroes of my story.....my Mother and my Husband in earlier times, Easter 2010.

"Treasure each other in the recognition that we do not know how long we will have each other."  ~  Joshua Liebman

Until next time.....