March 1, 2009 - Of Chores and Joy

March 01, 2009 - Of Chores and Joy
My last ten days without MC, our nurse-maid who takes care of my mom and performs some house chores, left me busy from sundawn to sunset. The first thing that I stopped doing was writing. I also didn’t have enough privacy to do so. My brother had come from America to settle our family business and my sister with her daughter came with the intuit of participating of some decisions, but truly they had a vacation time on the farm.
It was late and I woke up to feed Clara who usually complains about being hungry when I am half-asleep. I saw my father’s work clothes and I couldn’t leave them for tomorrow to be ironed, or they would be too hot to be worn. I washed my father’s long sleeve shirts and cotton long underwear he wears as a pajama. Afraid that it would be too warm to wear after being hung-dry in the sun, I placed in the refrigerador for a few hours. Discreetly, I put them back where he left them.
While ironing, a sense of joy with little, repetitive, and endless chores came into my heart. First I thought that God had put joy into my heart for little things, but soon I realized that I have joy because Jesus lives in my heart. Chores don’t give me joy, but He does even through some menial jobs.
Every day I change my mother’s diapers, I feed her into her mouth with a spoon, I give her shower, I put her in bed, it makes me closer to her. The last stroke had left her aloof to our presence. She seems not to recognize me as a particular person. Because of that, when I used to come to visit my parents, I usually forgot to acknowledge her. I even left a few times without saying good bye. I couldn’t have a feeling as I didn’t have a communication with her. However, as the day passes, and I take care of her minimal needs, I am becoming more caring and affectionate towards her, to perceive her as a person. I am not as disgusted of taking care of her as I used to think I would be. A few days ago, she had a major accident in bed. It was about 5 a.m. and I smelled something fowl. I thought the cat had done the job in my bedroom. I went after the smell, and it was not the bathroom sewage back-up. I run into my mom’s bedroom, to find her shaking and all messy with black vomit and diarrea. I started to take her clothes off, when I decided to call my father who was working in his office. When I went back, the sudden smell, made me throw up twice. Then, I went to call MC for help. She took over. Later, I took care of the laundry, my mom’s light food, and all her routine, as MC is on vacation.
Thank God MC will be back tomorrow.