A week ago my mom came to visit me in Limerick. The picture that is seen above was taken in one of my favorite spots in town called the Locke Bar. They always have live music playing there and I knew my mom would love it. We took this photo together after they had just played a couple of traditional Irish songs and my mom tried her first Guinness… And probably her last one too.
She asked me all of the usual mom like questions, “How is School? How is basketball going? How is the mentoring program going? Have you met a lot of people here? What are you eating daily? How are you getting along with your classmates and peers?” And to an outsider looking in on our conversation nobody would think anything of it but to my mom I could see that it meant a lot to her. She loves hearing about my life in Limerick and I love hearing about hers back in the states.
For anyone who does not know, my mom and I’s current situation has been difficult as my father has been very sick for the past 2 and a half years. And my mom has been the one overseeing his care and aid throughout this time. That is a full time commitment as she makes sure that he is being properly taken care of but that does not leave her much time for herself. However, through these obstacles she is still doing a phenomenal job of holding down the fort and always checking in with me. She has inspired me tremendously these past two and a half years with her selfless devotion to myself and to my father.
What made her trip to Limerick so special for me was when she got to see me doing well and enjoying myself in Ireland. She got to see me play a basketball game, go to Bunratty castle, visit LIT, and do a tour of dingle. So she was able to do a ton of activities with me in just 5 days here.
Overall, what I hope you as the reader take away from this is that you do not feel sorry for her or for myself because this tough situation has made the two of us stronger but it has also made us closer to one another. I really am grateful for my mom because without her support and guidance I would not be in Limerick Ireland today, being a part of this great organization.
