Hugs of Love

Ever since living with my parents when we arrived here in Toronto, we've been blessed. However, it's been very interesting, amusing, and even trying for us also in many ways. This is mostly due to my mother having Alzheimers. She has been forgetting many things including us, facts, and what she's saying. Sometimes she'll express the same concern over and over such as tripping over the cable that the computer is hooked up to, or one of the kids not in bed yet. But, what stands out the most to us who sometimes sleep later than she does, is how frequently she comes out of her bedroom to say "goodnight". She'll kiss and hug, say "goodnight", then go back to her room. A little while later, she'll do the same thing again. This sometimes goes on anywhere from 6 to 12 times at night. I, Linda, regretfully admit that by the second week of our stay, I was beginning to get tired of the repetitiveness and interruptions of the nightly routine. Thankfully, the Lord made me remember that my mother wasn't really affectionate to me when I was growing up. She became a lot more expressive when she got older but we then went to the mission field and have been there for close to 11 years. That meant I've missed out on being able to give, nor receive love from her in an intimate way (kissing and hugging). Now that she's saying "goodnight" many times each night, I get to receive in an intimate way each time, whatever affection she wants to give me. I realise that we were unknowingly making up for all the lost times that we couldn't hug because of distance and other reasons. Each hug and kiss she gives me each night (be it the 6th or the 8th) is filled with the same sincerity, warmth, and love as the first one. I am grateful to receive massive doses of her affection each night in lieu of all those times she couldn't give them. Thank you, Lord!