Blanket for Aunt Wanda

Yesterday, my mom and I had the privilege of delivering a blanket to my Aunt Wanda, my mother's eldest sister. Wanda resides in an Assisted Care Center.

In order to fully appreciate this experience, let me share a little history about this woman. Wanda is Carole's mother. The one I recently wrote about who got in a car accident when she was 16 and spent the remainder of her life in a wheelchair under the care of her mother. Now you may ask ..."What about Carole's father? Didn't he help care for his daughter?" Well, Art, Wanda's husband, died of a heart attack about 7 years after Carole's accident. Wanda was left to care for her crippled daughter and 2 sons on her own.

Even prior to Carole's accident, Wanda's childhood had it's own twists and turns. As a young child, she had experiences that left her feeling displaced and rejected... something she never came to understand or make peace with. It was an underlying current her entire life that was probably buried deep in her soul while so much of her time and energy was spent caring for her daughter.

However, after Carol died, there was a huge void in Wanda's life. She had always been a spunky woman but as she has aged she has become a little "cranky" and "bitter". She has many health issues and has felt frustrated as doctors have not always been able to ease her pain. Addressing issues from her past has been too uncomfortable and painful to confront. She has become demanding of family members who live near by (one son lives in Utah with his family while the other moved to Arizona). In her old age, when she needs her family the most, she has nearly driven them all away. God bless her son Earl who tries so hard to comfort his mother while she makes it so difficult. My mother and Aunt Janet, Wanda's two younger sisters, are incredibly patient and committed to loving and helping their older sister...through good times and bad times.

So, back to delivering the blanket... My mother has vacillated back and forth for many weeks on whether or not Wanda would appreciate this blanket. Finally, yesterday we decided to make the delivery. We gave her a blanket in her favorite color...red. Who would have guessed just how much she would love and appreciate that blanket? She could not quit talking about how soft it was. She recently had surgery on her arm and said it was perfectly soft for her wounded arm. She is sure that her arm will heal quicker now that she has such a soft surface! She was noticeably touched by this gift of hope & comfort. My mother & I were both relieved and thrilled that it was so well received.

As we left the care center, I reflected on all these blankets & dogs that have been delivered over the past 4 months. I can only hope that each item has provided their recipient that much hope, comfort & love!