The doctors said Mom couldn’t be alone. In June, I resigned from my teaching position, packed some belongings, and headed south—with three kids, two cats, and a dog—to St Augustine, Florida, to take care of mom. Mom had been diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a respiratory disease, and every breath exhausted her. I thought Mom and I could fight this illness together. I pictured happy days where we would picnic as a family at the beach, tour the town for garage sales, eat at wharf-side restaurants, and spend long nights watching classic television. Instead, Mom’s illness took hold of our whole family. We began twenty-four-hour care. Mom needed us, and we were vigilant. Our life became emergency-room waits, hospital visits, pharmacy runs, and long nights of asking for God’s help. Two Elephants in a Bathtub is a chronological account of those days. Mom’s courage enveloped our family. I pass this story along with pride and hope that it will inspire any family with an elderly relative battling against time and terminal illness. This isn’t a story about loss. This is a story about love.
