Perfect in Weakness

Posted on by

I am linking up for Five Minute Friday.  The FMF is hosted by Kate Motaung on her blog Heading Home. Today’s prompt is “weak”. It was so good to see this crew and get back into the groove of FMF. We’d love to have you join us.  Just hop onto Twitter on Thursday evenings and follow the #fmfparty. Hope to see you there! 

Every Sunday, like clockwork, my phone would ring right before three pm. 
Then one day, it just stopped. 
It’s so hard to watch her health deteriorate; to watch her become weaker,

My mom is a beautiful woman 
A woman who has lived most of my life with a mental illness
Then over a year ago, a dr uttered the words dementia too.

She was doing so well.
Even stayed at my house last summer
My sister and I and mom had so much fun.

In the last months though
I wait for my phone to ring 
And it doesn’t ring
But then one day
I get a surprise
My phone rings and she asks what I am up.
Its in those moments that I think nothing is wrong.
Its in those moments that I have hope.

I am clinging to the precious moments we have
The moments where she still knows our names
Still knows who she is too.

Together we are made perfect in our weakness
Weakness that comes in all sorts of forms
Doesn’t it?

I think of my dad who thought he was weak
Weak when he divorced my mom
But he was actually strong
Doing what was best for all of us

Weakness has a way of breaking in
When we least expect it
But God gives us strength

I am strong.
I am beautiful.
I am enough.
We all are.

38 thoughts on “Perfect in Weakness”

  2. Prayers for your mom and your family, Tara. I'm so sorry, and can't imagine what that is like for you. Your post is very real and open and beautiful. And you are right: God strengthens us in our weakness. Love to you, friend <3

    Reply ↓

  3. Oh.My.Heart. sending more prayers for you, your Mom, your fam, your own breaking heart that yet beats strong with love and hope for the world. Thanks for including your Dad in this post.

    Reply ↓

  4. Thank you for sharing your beautiful heart. What a blessing you and your sister are to your mom. I have a friend who watched her mom grow weaker with Alzheimer's and the journey is hard but is nothing like weakness. Prayers for all of you.

    Reply ↓

  6. Tara-
    Have you known how similar our stories weave? My mom is from ND, and she was the only brave one to leave the state of her family. My aunt visited us last week because my mom too was recently diagnosed with early stages of Dementia. Solidarity sister! I hope you have a good week, month, year with your mom. I have enjoyed spending more time with my mom now that she had fully retired from working. Love, Jenn
    p.s. Thank you for coming by my blog today and commenting too!!!

    Reply ↓

  7. This is such a hard journey for you and your family. Praying for you all. I love this:
    "Weakness has a way of breaking in
    When we least expect it
    But God gives us strength"
    and I love that in our weakness we can know him strengthening us.

    Reply ↓

  8. tara, sorry to hear of this hard time you are having. my mom struggled most of her adult life with depression. later, she died after a couple of years of dementia. it was sad.

    Reply ↓

  9. Tara, thank you for sharing an intimate piece of your story. I can only imagine how difficult and heartbreaking it is to watch your mom, to see your relationship with her change. I'm saying a prayer for you tonight, friend.

    Reply ↓

  10. Praying for you friend. My mother was recently diagnosed with early stages of dementia. We don't know what tomorrow holds, but I'm trusting. She doesn't know the Lord, so I'm praying she will give her heart to Him.

    Reply ↓

  12. Tara, thank you for sharing your journey here. Yes, we are all weak but in that we can be strong through Jesus. Praying for the grace of God to show up in those places where you can connect with your mom again. xoxo

    Reply ↓

  14. Tara, thank you for your post. I am realizing more and more that the admission of weakness is strength. It certainly opens us up to the strength of the Lord.
    I am praying for you and your family. Dementia seems prevalent in the women in my family. The thing I am grateful for is the witness my elders have been in being there for the matriarchs in my family.

    Thank you for sharing such a precious glimpse into your life and for visiting my blog.
    God bless you.

    Reply ↓

  17. Oh, Tara! I'm so sorry that your mom has this additional diagnosis. I saw my aunt for the first time in three years this weekend, and it's so sad to see how Alzheimer's has clouded her memory and hidden her once vibrant personality. Praying for you, my friend!

    Reply ↓

  18. Tara, this post drew me in to your story and left me resonating, reflecting, and raising you up in prayer. Thank you for this glimpse into your narrative. When we are stripped of our fleshly resources, our weakness is revealed and it is then that we recognize the true source of our strength.

    Reply ↓

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.