My mom's illness caused great personal and family strife. This strife for the most part was due to the fact that her illness was difficult to deal with--no one knew exactly what to do because we had not experienced this kind of illness before and because it was heartbreaking to see our mom change so dramatically and experience such a grave illness.
Despite the strife, our family remained close. This wasn't easy, but thanks to the support of many and lessons from the past, we were able to navigate the storm my mom's illness caused. I learned a lot during my mom's illness. The best lesson of all was learning that we have to respect the many ways people experience illness--no two people experience the illness of a loved one the same, and it's unlikely that people will deal with that illness in similar ways too.
I learned a lot about caregiving and control too. With any kind of illness, there's lots to learn about the best ways to deal with the illness. Thanks to the mentoring of many caregivers, I learned how to care for my mom in many ways. I also learned that when it comes to illness, there's not a lot of control. I couldn't control my mom's illness, and I also didn't fully understand what was happening to her or within her. I did my best to learn what I could, but in general, I had to just go with it and take my cues from mom's actions and expressions as well as from medical professionals, family members, and others who held perspectives and knowledge about her illness.
As with all experiences in life, there is a lot to learn and great empathy to gain. Most of all the lessons of strife have taught me that it's best to wade through those tough waters with as much ability to maintain valuable relationships as you can. Onward.