The 18 hours of travel were much more difficult for Mom than expected. Granted, having a sinus infection, not sleeping the night before because of the sinus infection, and Air France changing our schedule are valid complications. I really should have postponed and given the antibiotics another day. But we left as scheduled.
Our highest priority was to make sure Mom did not miss meals. We allowed time for a nice dinner once we got to our gate area. As a side note, whenever you travel make one of your party bandage up their foot and feign the need for a wheelchair. We ripped through the entire check in and security process for a International Flight in about 11 minutes! We had plenty of time to enjoy a leisurely meal, but there are no resturants in the International Gate area. Somehow Mom convinced me that a Nibley's cracker would hold her over till we ate on the plane! We nibbled and boarded. When the long awaited meal arrived, Mom couldn't bring herself to eat the Lox and Couscous - so the night kept getting worse! Mom couldn't sleep at all. She was nausiated and miserable and basically, stayed up all night again. And she was wearing her "Force a smile and just get through this!" face.
We did have a few great laughs trying to figure out what time to take her next pills - you know how everything is funnier when you are exhausted.
Anyway, we finally got to our hotel. Mom planned to shower and go to bed. I ran back to the airport to rent the car (skipped that part in order to get her to the hotel faster).
This is where you need to get a visual in your head. About 2 hours later I tip toed back into our room. There was Mom kneeling at the side of her bed, praying. I waited. Then I tried to wake her (this is where the panic came in). Eventually I could see she was breathing, so I picked her up and put her in her bed. She never stirred. Her body was cold and stiff as a board. I slowly unfolded her legs and arms so she could sleep. I have no idea how long she slept there, praying. Every night Mom prays for each of her children, then her children's spouses, then each of her grandkids, and their spouses and future spouses, then the great grand kids and their future spouses. Then her sisters and brothers and then half her ward. So who knows how long she had been there, even before she fell asleep.
When I walked in that door I saw was a beautiful, valiant, and faithful woman of God being obedient. She could have said her prayers while in bed - am I the only one that does that when I'm really tired? She could have skipped them. If she was ever justified, she was tonight. She could have sat in chair to say them. But no - she knelt, and without excuse, reported to the Lord. In my opinion, that angel, dressed in her favorite silky pink PJ's, stands right up there with her ancestors. Hartman Meyer and his family, who broke the ice in a frozen river, in the middle of a wintery night just to be baptised have nothing over Mom. Neither do Mina and Tilda who left Switzerland at - was it 9 and 11 - without their parents, to begin the family's move to Utah.
Tonight's experience changed my entire focus. I just traveled half way around the world to learn about and gain strength from the lives and choices of my ancestors - when I could have just looked right next to me at our Mom.
Good Night