The Wonder & Beauty of Four Generations of Women!
Yesterday we welcomed my mother-in-law from Bulgaria. It was a trip made accompanied by her niece, my wife’s first cousin. The trip is hard for most humans complete with jet lag, questionable food and swollen ankles. It is a bit harder on this beautiful woman now a year shy of her 80th birthday. But the reward is great! For the first time in 3 years the 4 generations were as one again, laughing talking 
teasing…loving. I so enjoy watching them interact and am amazed at the wonder of family and genetics, nature and nurture.
I am struck by how much we need each other in families and how essential it is for our well being. The oldest great-grandchild is 13 and typical of her age can at times be a bit ego-centric. Now when her great-grandma “Babo” arrives she was the first to throw all of her plans aside and had to be at the airport to greet her. In the lucky families and not all our lucky this is how it works! The tears and the laughter flow freely with the happiness of being together and the sorrow of being apart.
“Mom” lives way too far away and soon we will have to make some choices about her remaining time. She loves her home country and other than family our home has no meaning to her. These will be tough choices as we weigh what is best for her eventual care, her psycho-social needs and unfortunately finances will have to be considered when one lives half a world away. This will all need to be discussed on this trip as she nears her 80th birthday.
In the mean time let’s enjoy this moment in time with four generations of happy healthy loving women who can laugh and love with the best of them! Not all get to experience such joy!
Kevin Kirkpatrick is Director of Community Relations at Elmwood Terrace in Suburban Chicago
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