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Visiting Mum - List

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Mum has been in a care home since dad died . I try to see her every day except when I’m unwell or on holiday. My dad gave my sister cash for 'travel' but she's never visited and for the last 2 years not sent birthday or mother’s day cards or rings her, so my visits are very precious to my mum. When I visit my mum I take:- One loving heart Two arms to embrace her Three ideas for memory games Four funny poems to read to her Five pounds if her wallet is getting low Open ears ready to listen ... Self control for when she is incorrect! Tissues for tears of laughter not sadness Willing hands when she needs help toileting Patience for when she repeats herself Writing Challenge 3, July 2019 - List - Poetry Contest Sponsored by Dear Hear 3/8/19

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Juliet Ligon

Date: 9/26/2019 5:25:00 PM

This is precious.

Jan Allison
Date: 9/26/2019 5:56:00 PM

Thanks Juliet I am closer to my mum since my father died in 2015, sadly my sister hasn't seen her since then and to my knowledge hasn't contacted her in about 2 years and no longer is in contact with my aunt. there certainly have been no Christmas, birthday or Mother's day cards from her for at least 2 years and I have put up an old card from 2017 for Mother's day so mum thinks she still sends it - it is heartbreaking to say the least:-( hugs jan xx

Edmund Strempfl

Date: 9/9/2019 6:43:00 PM

Written with thought and very heartfelt and endearing. Your mum gave you birth with a beautiful soul.

Jan Allison
Date: 9/26/2019 5:52:00 PM

thanks Edmund:-) hugs Jan xx

Ralph Sergi

Date: 9/9/2019 4:15:00 PM

Hi Jan: This poem really touched me in that I used to bath my papa ans he would always say, don't worry, son; I'll bathe you when you get old! MY REGARDS TO YOUR MOM!

Jan Allison
Date: 9/10/2019 7:30:00 PM

Mum said to me ;things I did for you as a child... now you do for me' but i will help her anyway I can:-) hugs Jan xx

Ralph Sergi
Date: 9/9/2019 4:17:00 PM

AND HE WOULD ALWAYS SAY, I'LL BATHE YOU WHEN YOU GET OLD.

Darlene De Beaulieu

Date: 9/2/2019 6:27:00 PM

Hello Jan, this is a great list you made for being with your mom. Yes patience is very important. You must be strong to and positive to. Have a nice evening my friend.

Jan Allison
Date: 9/10/2019 7:27:00 PM

i worked in a school for 16 years Darlene I have a lot of patience with mum especially now her memory is deteriorating but health wise she is incredible!:-) hugs Jan xx

Darlene De Beaulieu
Date: 9/3/2019 2:32:00 PM

Hello Jan, oh how nice. Have you been doing it long? They need people like you to help them. Have a nice day my friend.

Jan Allison
Date: 9/2/2019 6:41:00 PM

I worked with special needs students so have lots of patience, mum is amazed how understanding I am of her but I find it very easy:-) hugs jan xx

Old Buck

Date: 9/2/2019 2:24:00 PM

I always enjoy reading a: Jan Allison work. Today was no exception. Thank you for sharing with all of us on the soup. oldbuck

Jan Allison
Date: 9/2/2019 6:40:00 PM

thanks so much OB so lovely to see you again hope you are well:-) hugs Jan xx

Regina Mcintosh

Date: 8/29/2019 7:18:00 AM

Love this, Jan. Prayers for your Mum and you.

Jan Allison
Date: 8/29/2019 7:30:00 AM

thanks so much Regina, she is an amazing lady i am so lucky to have her still:-) hugs jan xx

Constance La France

Date: 8/12/2019 6:55:00 PM

Jan congratulations on your win in my writing challenge with this wonderful write

Jan Allison
Date: 8/29/2019 7:29:00 AM

thanks so much Constance, your contests always inspire me to go out of my comfort zone and not write humour:-) hugs jan xx

Andrea Dietrich

Date: 8/11/2019 12:37:00 PM

everyone thought of such clever ways to do their list poem. wish I had been so clever with mine. I am loving these great winners. Congrats, Jan.

Jan Allison
Date: 8/29/2019 7:29:00 AM

thanks Andrea:-) hugs Jan xx

Kim Merryman

Date: 8/8/2019 9:05:00 PM

a heart touching poem, Jan! Made me think of my mom before she passed. Congrats on your win! Blessings, Kim

Jan Allison
Date: 8/9/2019 3:02:00 AM

Thanks Kim:-) hugs Jan xx

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 8/8/2019 4:32:00 AM

- Congratulations on your win, Jan :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

Jan Allison
Date: 8/9/2019 3:01:00 AM

thanks Anne-List:-) hugs Jan xx

Timothy Mcguire

Date: 8/7/2019 9:03:00 PM

A FAV for me a great win for you!

Jan Allison
Date: 8/9/2019 3:01:00 AM

aww thanks for the fave Timothy, its a special poem I am so blessed to still have my mum, my husband lost both his parents and does so much to try and make mum's life easier:-( hugs Jan x

Eve Roper

Date: 8/5/2019 1:26:00 PM

Sadness ?? my friend, family should love and care for each other.. especially when we get older. My heart and love is with you. Hugs Eve

Jan Allison
Date: 8/9/2019 3:00:00 AM

thanks Eve:-) hugs jan xx

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 8/4/2019 6:56:00 PM

This is so sweet. What a great tribute. I like the way you have met this challenge. This sounds like a winner to me!

Jan Allison
Date: 8/5/2019 1:30:00 AM

Thanks Caren i know i am truly blessed to still have her, not many would have survived 2 bleeds on their brain after a fall! She is a remarkable lady and i try and see her every day:-) hugs jan xx

Geoffrey Brewer

Date: 8/4/2019 10:59:00 AM

Your mother is blessed to have such a caring and practically realistic daughter as you. A very touching poem, Jan.

Jan Allison
Date: 8/5/2019 1:29:00 AM

Thanks Geoffrey:-) hugs jan xx

Lindsay Laurie

Date: 8/3/2019 11:47:00 PM

Hello Jan … and you should add a heck of a lot of compassion. You are a wonderful daughter, as to the elderly in care, visitors are worth more than all the riches on earth - just a great verse Jan - Lindsay

Jan Allison
Date: 8/4/2019 3:54:00 AM

I worked with children for many years and have a great deal of patience and yes compassion but she is my mum. At least I am carrying out my father's last wish ... the other one was for us not to argue but my sister put paid to that one lol ... in fact we didn't really argue she just decided that 'I' was holding up the legal process and refused to speak to me since we were in the lawyers and that was in Nov 2015. :-) hugs Jan xx

Gershon Wolf

Date: 8/3/2019 10:54:00 PM

Extremely touching. A poem that moves the soul, Jan. God bless you, Gershon

Jan Allison
Date: 8/4/2019 3:51:00 AM

Thanks GW:-) hugs Jan xx

Ann Gilmour

Date: 8/3/2019 6:50:00 PM

This is such a beautiful poem Jan and truly shows what a loving daughter you are. I love that you take four funny poems to read to your Mum and that you play memory games. Laughter is so important and the best medicine for sure. My sister in law just 63 has early onset Alzheimer's; I see her each week and making her laugh brings her back for a while. Good luck in the contest Jan, with kindest thoughts Ann xx

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 7:01:00 PM

I try and read poems to her and recite them if i can but I often take my tablet and read some of the older ones, she especially loves limericks:-) she loves doing memory games and gets a sense of achievement, its odd I am often thinking of the very item mum says its like thought transference:-) so wonderful you are abler to make your sister in law's life better with laughter it really does help mum:-) I hope the choir is going well:-) hugs jan xx

Harry Horsman

Date: 8/3/2019 4:15:00 PM

I read the deepness and the sincerity here Jan, and yes i've been there,,,lovely poem...

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 6:20:00 PM

So sorry if you can relate Harry, it is so difficult seeing them aging and getting frail but mum's fighting spirit is amazing:-) hugs Jan xx

Janice Canerdy

Date: 8/3/2019 3:36:00 PM

This is SO beautiful and sweet! I love it, Jan! Janice

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 4:03:00 PM

I really enjoyed the challenge Janice:-) hugs jan xx

Anne-Lise Andresen

Date: 8/3/2019 1:30:00 PM

- You're the best daughter she could wish for ... heartbreakingly beautiful list, Jan :) - Luck in the contest :) - hugs // Anne-Lise :)

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 4:02:00 PM

Thanks Anne Lise - seems to be quite a familiar story i know I am not alone with relations breaking down over inheritance and greed:-( hugs Jan xx

Tom Cunningham

Date: 8/3/2019 1:22:00 PM

A touching story Jan, its great that she has a daughter like you. Can't believe that about your sister but then money does that to people. But the good thing is she's not taking it with her. Good luck. Tom

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 4:01:00 PM

It's sad on so many levels Tom but I know I am so so blessed to still have mum:-) I do memory games ABC of names, flowers trees etc and she loves it as it gets her thinking and we have such fun when we get to x and we find a way of 'cheating' and burst out laughing! hugs jan xx

Kim Rodrigues

Date: 8/3/2019 12:54:00 PM

What a faithful and loving daughter you are. I don’t know why your sister hasn’t visited. Everyone is different. Hopefully soon she will join you with open arms perhaps to comfort you when you most need it. I love too how you talk about the toileting...never ashamed to help. Hugs...Kim

Kim Rodrigues
Date: 8/5/2019 6:06:00 AM

Such heartbreak in life. So sorry <3 Kim

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 4:00:00 PM

My sister told the lawyer she wanted nothing to do with me and hasn't spoken to me since - yet without me and mum gifting our share she would have never inherited land dad left to her ... the law was very complex!!. It's heartbreaking on so many levels as my parents treated her like a princess buying her everything so she's never needed to work... she is the one who has everything materially but she doesn't have mum or a family like I do:-) hugs jan xx

Robert L. Hinshaw

Date: 8/3/2019 10:26:00 AM

Very touching indeed, Jan! Take good care of your dear Mum and it sounds like you do. Thanks for sharing your story - Bob

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 12:33:00 PM

Thanks Bob:-) I am so blessed to still have her - not many of her advanced age would survive 2 bleeds on their brain after a fall but ten years on in November and she is still a remarkable lady:-) hugs Jan xx

Line Gauthier

Date: 8/3/2019 10:01:00 AM

A very touching poem and story, Jan. Leaves one speechless.

Kim Rodrigues
Date: 8/3/2019 12:55:00 PM

Very sad indeed, dear Jan.

Jan Allison
Date: 8/3/2019 10:10:00 AM

Sadly Line my sister has no contact with my mum in the last 2 years nor my aunt (or me in 4 years but she has refused to speak to me over dad's Lithuanian will yet we had to agree for her to inherit over me and mum) she's to be pitied especially after my parents have given her everything I have had to work for:-( my father's dying wish was we were to look after mum and I will always do that:-) hugs Jan xx